


KillerVibe Fanfic Week 2019

by sssssssim



Series: KillerVibe Week [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Doppelganger, Episode: s03e01 Flashpoint, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Good Omens AU, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-27 00:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20398999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sssssssim/pseuds/sssssssim
Summary: Event held by@killervibedaily2 6 . 0 8   -   0 1 . 0 9   /   2 0 1 9





	1. INTRODUCTION

> Day 1: Fake Dating  
Day 2: Canon Divergent  
Day 3: Doppelgängers  
Day 4: Free Day - Good Omens AU  
Day 5: Flashpoint  
Day 6: Soulmates  
Day 7: Fairytale

> This year, sssssssim's KillerVibe Week entries bring you  
fics written mostly on a bus  
with not a lot of plot thought (what else is new?)  
a surprising amount of babies (without actually writing an accidental baby acquisition)  
a visit from a blue friend  
angels and demons and the apocalypse _oh my_  
more fluff than angst (there's a little angst, I mean, have you met me?)  
and generally  
we're going to have fun.

> I mean, I had fun writing these, I hope you're going to have fun reading them. Days 4 and 7 are my favorites, I lo-lo-love them, but I like the rest of them, too.

> As always, I'm a big fan of constructive criticism, so come at me!

> Hugs and kisses to you  
and all the love for these two dumbdumbs,  
Sim


	2. Day 1: Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In normal circumstances, if she woke up in the middle of the night to a blue alien in her bedroom saying Help me Obi Wan, you’re my only hope, Caitlin would have iced the bastard to smithereens and would have went back to bed.

Caitlin wasn’t an idiot.

In normal circumstances, if she woke up in the middle of the night to a blue alien in her bedroom saying  _ Help me Obi Wan, you’re my only hope _ , she would have iced the bastard to smithereens and would have went back to bed.

But because she actually recognized the blue alien as Kara’s friend from Earth 38 and the second thing he said was ‘You’re not Cisco’, Caitlin didn’t ice him. Instead, she put on a pair of pants and called Cisco. 

◁kv▷

An hour later, they were all in the Cortex, trying their best to keep up with what Brainy was saying. It was a difficult thing to do, with no coffee and in the middle of the night. 

But Caitlin got the gist of it: Supergirl and the DEO were busy dealing with an imminent invasion, Brainiac had to stay away from it for reasons she didn’t care enough to listen to, so he needed help dealing with another alien.

Barry was very amused, for reasons that Caitlin didn’t understand. She narrowed her eyes at him.

‘It’s just that I should stay here, you know, in case Central City needs the Flash.’ Barry grinned, in an unnatural, innocent way. ‘You and Cisco should go help Brainy.’

‘That would be preferable, yes.’, Brainy said in an even tone.

Caitlin looked to Cisco, wanting to meet his eyes and see what he was thinking. But Cisco wasn’t looking at her, he was glaring at Barry.

Clearly, she missed something.

‘Clearly, I have missed something.’, Brainy said.

‘We’re going!’, Cisco exploded in rage. He grabbed Caitlin’s hand and dragged her out of the Cortex.

He didn’t say one word, he barely even looked at Caitlin, as he opened up a breach to her apartment. 

Caitlin didn’t think he was angry  _ at her _ , but clearly there was something on his mind, and it may just involve her. As she packed a bag for the impromptu field trip to Earth 38, she thought about how she’ll help Brainy with his evil alien, sure, but she’ll also figure out what was up with Cisco.

◁kv▷

By the time they made it to Earth 38, Cisco had calmed down and he was back to his usual self, so Caitlin did her best to do the same.

They were going to be staying in Kara’s apartment, Brainy insisted that she was alright with it. 

‘She’s not using it, anyway, Kara and the team are currently on a spaceship, light-years away from Earth.’

‘Are they okay?’, Caitlin couldn’t help but feel concern.

Brainy smiled, and it looked a little weird, paired with the silver hair and blue skin. She must have sketched something on her face, because he apologized and shapeshifted.

‘It’s okay.’, Caitlin felt ashamed. ‘You don’t have to make yourself look… human. It’s just going to take a while to get used to it, I’m sorry.’

‘That’s very kind of you, Doctor Snow.’, he tilted his head. ‘But I don’t mind. I do enjoy my passing-as-human appearance, but for reasons I can’t understand, it doesn’t want to stay when I pass through a breach. I simply forgot to turn it back on.’

He had a nice smile, Caitlin couldn’t help but think. She shook her head to get rid of such thoughts.

‘You haven’t answered my question. Is Kara okay? Alex and J’onn?’

‘They’re fine. We caught word of an imminent invasion, so they took a team out to negotiate.’

‘And why aren’t you with them?’, Cisco asked, rather pointedly.

‘That is… complicated.’, Brainy tilted his head. ‘To simplify the explanation, I’ll say that I will run into them in the future and-’

‘Okay.’, Cisco cut him off. ‘We get it.’

Brainy frowned, deeply. ‘You… do? Usually, people have a hard time understanding time travel.’

Caitlin and Cisco shared a look, and then they started laughing, much to Brainy’s confusion. 

‘How about you tell us about this alien we’re supposed to help you catch?’, Caitlin suggested.

‘And then we can talk about time travel over some beers.’, Cisco continued.

Brainy, still confused, looked between them for a few more moments. But then he shrugged and straightened his back, growing serious. 

‘The name he has taken on Earth is Leon Shell. He is a Valeronian, which means he possesses superstrength and he is invulnerable to most weapons. That… is not the issue.’

‘How is that not the issue?’, Cisco rolled his eyes.

Brainy took a deep breath and, to Caitlin’s eyes, he looked troubled by what he was about to say.

‘Leon Shell is not using the advantages he has from being an alien to do his dirty work. Since he made his way to Earth, he used his cunning and smarts to form and lead a human trafficking network.’

Caitlin felt her chest constricting. ‘What sort of trafficking?’

‘Beautiful young women.’, Brainy said with some difficulty. ‘I have gathered proof that links his operation to 147 missing person cases in the last five years. I know of, but can’t prove, at least three times more than that.’

There was anger in his tone, now, loud and clear. Caitlin felt sick.

‘Jesus Christ.’, Cisco breathed out. ‘How has nobody caught him yet?’

‘Nobody ever tried. As I said, he’s smart and cunning, he managed to keep off the radar.’

‘Until you.’, Caitlin pointed out.

Brainy nodded, but he didn’t show any signs of feeling proud of it.

‘The issue is that I stumbled upon this at the wrong time. I took it to the Director, but her hands were tied. All DEO resources were to be pushed into the negotiations. She ordered me to don’t come near that, and she ordered me to send my information to the local law enforcement. Against my better judgement, I did so. And as I predicted...’

Again, he displayed anger, so much so that he didn’t finish the sentence.

‘He got away, didn’t he?’, Cisco asked gravely.

‘Somebody tipped him off.’, Brainy nodded. ‘I have yet to deduce whom.’

‘It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?’, Cisco pointed out. ‘You’re doing this off the books.’

Brainy got defensive, at least his body language did. ‘This is beyond the capabilities of the Police. That has been proved.’

Cisco nodded. ‘I’m not debating that, and I’m not debating you going after him off the books, either. What I’m asking is why us?’

Brainy frowned.

‘You didn’t want Barry or Ralph, you didn’t want  _ someone _ to help, you wanted me and Caitlin. Why? Do you have a plan?’

That actually made sense, to Caitlin, now that Cisco had said it.

‘Yes.’, Brainy said after a beat. ‘I have information that Leon Shell will be hosting a very selective party and I have an opening.’

‘And where do we come into play?’, Cisco asked, all business, clearly mind going a mile a minute.

‘The plan is to corner him and have Vibe breach him straight into a DEO holding cell.’

‘And me?’, Caitlin asked.

Brainy looked at her like she was dumb. ‘I thought it was obvious.’

She huffed. 

‘You think he’s not immune to ice?’, Cisco asked.

‘No, I just thought Doctor Snow would make a good date for me.’

Caitlin wasn’t looking at Brainy as he said it, but at Cisco. So she saw, perfectly, the way his calculated expression turned into one of anger. She didn’t understand it, but she saw it.

‘It’s a good plan.’, Caitlin frowned. ‘But I have to warn you, I’m not very good at going undercover.’

Slowly, looking right into her eyes, Brainy smiled. ‘I’m sure you’ll be perfectly adequate.’

He really did look beautiful when he smiled. Caitlin looked away, focused on the way Cisco was frowning at the floor. He was just as beautiful, even more so, and all these thoughts were confusing Caitlin.

She didn’t need it, right then. So she straightened her back, made a pot of coffee, and politely asked Brainy to tell them everything he knew.

◁kv▷

Brainy was a very particular… character. She knew very little of him from Kara, but he had no issues with telling his story. 

Querl Dox was a Coluan with a level of intelligence way over the human scale. He was born in the future, he was the fifth in a line of supervillains and, if Caitlin were to give her professional opinion, he was well on the spectrum. He missed social cues, jokes went over his head, he couldn’t lie, he was an awkward human.

But he had heart, it took no time at all for Caitlin to realize that. She had a feeling he didn’t fully know how to use it, quite yet, but he was trying. 

Brainy was a good man, and Caitlin found herself enjoying spending time with him. What she enjoyed even more, though, was watching him bantering with Cisco. They did a lot of that.

When they talked shop about catching Shell, they were both serious and professional. But anything besides that, be it ordering food or discussing Star Wars, it all but ended in blood, metaphorically speaking.

It was worse than how Cisco was with HR, there at the start. It entertained her, somewhat, because she knew that he didn’t actually hate Brainy with all his being. It also confused Caitlin because she didn’t understand why Cisco was acting this way.

She tried asking late that night, after Brainy had gone home. Cisco insisted on sleeping on the couch, so she was already in bed as he was still puttering around, looking for extra blankets.

‘Hey, Cisco.’, she said as sweetly as she could. ‘What’s your problem with Brainy?’

‘Nothing.’, came the quick response, too quickly, followed by Cisco rushing to shut off the lights. She still saw the blush on his cheeks.

She sighed. ‘Really, Cisco, this is me you’re talking to. Come on.’

‘There’s nothing to talk about.’

‘But the tone of your voice makes me think that was a big fat lie.’

Her statement was followed by a long silence, which was very unusual for Cisco. Which meant that she was right and whatever was on his mind was something big.

‘I’ll tell you after we catch Shell. Back home.’

Caitlin sighed, knowing that was all she was going to get. Still, it was something.

‘Good night, Cisco.’

He responded in kind, but only after a few long moments.

◁kv▷

Somehow, Brainy did manage to get an invite to Shell’s party, it even had his name on it, and a plus one.

So Caitlin made an executive decision and raided Kara’s closet. The only suitable dress she found was pushed at the back of it. It was simple, a dark green tight dress with thin straps and a cut of black see-through material at the top. After a quick stop in town for a pair of shoes and a clutch, Caitlin got ready.

When she came out of the bathroom, Cisco was pissed about something. Brainy wasn't even there yet and, of course, when she asked, he kept saying that nothing was wrong.

He also said she looked beautiful, and that was a reprise in his anger. Cisco smiled at her, genuinely and big, so much so that she felt herself blush.

The moment was gone as soon as it came, with Cisco going back to his foul mood.

'I hope Brainy's not going to be an idiot tonight.'

'Well, he is smarter than both of us combined.'

Cisco rolled his eyes. 'That doesn't mean he never screwed up. And if he does screw up now, he's putting you in danger.'

She raised an eyebrow, paired it with a flash of cold, blue eyes. 'I can take care of myself.'

'I know.', he seemed mildly ashamed. 'But I still worry.'

Caitlin had to smile at that, because she found his concern terribly endearing. 'Thank you, but there's really no need.'

Brainy chose that moment to let himself in. He looked very well, in a simple black tux and with his hair slicked back.

He also told her she looked beautiful, but it didn't have the same effect on her as Cisco's words had.

It was the moment when Caitlin should have started thinking about why that was. But she had a job to do.

◁kv▷

The party was pretty… swanky. It was an expensive thing, from the finger foods and drinks to what the guests were wearing. 

Caitlin had no idea who the guests were, but Brainy was keeping her informed. It didn't matter to her, how rich the person looking her way was, but Brainy was diligent.

They canvased the place for about an hour, with no sign of Shell. Cisco was silent throughout this, but Cailtin knew he was watching them through the surveillance system.

'Bingo.', he finally said. 'Shell is in the house.'

'Do we intercept?'

'No.', Brainy swiftly cut her off. 'He'll come to us.'

'Why would he do that?', Cisco asked with clear suspicion.

'He always greets all his guests, personally.'

'And what?', Cisco snorted. 'You plan to snatch him in the middle of the party?'

'Of course not.', Brainy frowned. 'We will need to draw him away from the party.'

'And how do we do that?', Caitlin asked.

Brainy's eyes grew wide, for a second. 'We'll figure something out, I'm sure.' He didn't sound sure.

Before Caitlin got to say anything, there was a growl in her ear. It was angry and animalistic and like nothing she had ever heard from Cisco.

'If you screw this up, Brainiac, I'll kill you.'

He didn't take it as grave as he should. He smiled, a little. 

'You may try, but do not worry, it will not get to that. Between all the things I know about Shell and Caitlin's cleavage, we'll get him.'

There was a pause, and then Cisco took a deep breath and, in a very even tone, told Brainy that he was dead.

Of course, Brainy ignored it. He also took a step closer and casually put his hand on Caitlin's back.

'We should probably dance but I have yet to learn any sort of human dances.'

'Yeah, I'm not in the mood for dancing, either.', she rolled her eyes. 'Should we mingle?'

'How about you tell me about how you know about time travel?'

Cisco huffed in their ears, but he didn't say anything. So Caitlin led Brainy in a more secluded part of the venue and told him a few pointed stories about Barry and time travel.

◁kv▷

She almost forgot about Shell.

Brainy was a nice guy to talk to. He was smart enough to always ask the right questions and he was funny enough to keep her entertained.

But when Shell came over and introduced himself, Caitlin managed to switch to work mode.

Brainy took over, though, in a surprising display of tact. In the course of a minute, maybe two, he let Shell know that Caitlin was his unimportant arm-candy for the evening, and that he had a business proposal that was sure to bring Shell a lot of money.

Honestly, Caitlin almost believed him. Shell surely did, because they were soon led to a conference room. The bodyguards stayed outside, just as planned.

Once inside, Caitlin took a step back and watched. Frost was ready to intervene if necessary, but there wasn't any need.

Brainy took five minutes to get Shell to admit to human trafficking, which will do well in court, considering they were recording, and as soon as he said the words out loud, Cisco opened a breach and came through.

Shell was startled, so it was easy for Brainy to punch him in the face as Cisco opened another breach, right behind him.

Brainy, with a pleased grin on his face, used his knee to push Shell through the breach and into the DEO holding cell.

Once the breach was closed and it was just the three of them, Caitlin couldn't keep the smile off her face.

'Well done, boys.'

When Brainy turned to her, he was grinning proudly. When Cisco turned to her, he was scowling.

'I need to go to the DEO, please.', Brainy smiled at Cisco, before wincing. 'But not in Shell's cell.'

Still scowling, Cisco opened up a breach. Before Brainy stepped through it, he leveled Caitlin with a pleased look.

'It's been a pleasure, Doctor Snow. I'll meet you back at Kara's place.'

After he was gone, Cisco was still scowling.

'Now will you tell me what's your problem?'

He eased his expression before answering. 'I said I'll tell you back home.'

It was her turn to scowl. Nothing else was said, not even after they made it back to Kara's.

◁kv▷

Brainy took a long time to make it back. So much so, that Kara and her friends made it before him.

Nobody expected to find Caitlin and Cisco there, so there was an awkward moment, but it was gone quickly.

Everyone was very happy because they had managed to negotiate a truce with the aliens that wanted to attack Earth, so a party started organically.

They hadn't met Dreamer before, and her powers were fascinating, but mostly, Kara, Alex, Nia and J'onn talked about their mission.

After Caitlin and Cisco explained what they were doing on Earth 38, and after half of Kara's bar was gone, that's when Brainy made it back to the apartment.

His eyes grew wide when he saw the gathering, and then, surprisingly so, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then he smiled, very wide and loving, a smile Caitlin had yet to see from him.

She heard someone say Brainy's name, in a very whispered and affected manner. Turning around, Caitlin realized that it came from Nia.

The woman was grinning wildly, sitting at the edge of her seat, the same love in her eyes that Brainy was directing at her.

Brainy ran to her, leaping over a couch in order to save time. He gathered Nia in his arms, but they didn't kiss. They just held each other, the kind of desperate embrace that came after your loved one survived a dangerous situation.

It was terribly sweet and it added a whole new level to Caitlin's understanding of Brainy. 

Of course, she turned to Cisco, knowing he would have had the same train of thought. But she was surprised by the way Cisco looked.

He looked relieved.

And that was the moment when Caitlin realized that since coming to Earth 38, Cisco had been jealous.

It hit Caitlin like a ton of bricks, but only for a moment. She hadn't realized just how much she wanted Cisco's attention like this, but she did.

She wanted his attention, his care, his love. She wanted him.

And by the looks of things, there was a big chance she was going to get what she wanted.

◁kv▷

They spent a few more hours on Earth 38, drinking and having a good time. But everyone was tired, and nobody argued when Caitlin announced they should be heading home.

There were hugs all around, but Caitlin kept an eye on Cisco and Brainy. They didn't say much, nothing important, but they shook hands in a very civil way.

'Until next time.', Brainy said cordially.

Cisco snorted. 'We'll get better at it.'

'Oh, there's a very slight chance I will be able to improve my tactical abilities. I am incredibly smart and well trained.'

Cisco just blinked at him for a few moments, but then he grabbed his shoulder. 

'Brainy, don't ever change.'

'Why would I need to change?'

Caitlin intervened then, extended her own hand for Brainy to shake. Surprisingly, he didn't shake it, but kissed the back of it.

The moment was ruined by his frowning. 'Was that acceptable? This is a new custom to me, I'm not sure it was appropriate in this moment.'

'It was appropriate, but, honestly, nobody under the age of 70 does it anymore.'

He was dejected by it, so Caitlin gave him a brief hug.

'Don't be a stranger.', she smiled. 'And if there's ever anything we can help you with-'

'Yeah, man.', Cisco cut her off. 'Call us and we'll be here.'

'I shall, my friends.', Brainy smiled. 'Until next time, may you be safe.'

They returned the sentiment and Cisco opened a breach. Before she went through it, Caitlin looked to Brainy one last time. He was by Nia's side, holding her hand and whispering something to her, with a smirk on his face. Nia was smiling fondly, listening attentively.

It was a pretty picture, but Caitlin liked more the picture Cisco painted at that moment, fidgeting in the middle of her living room.

Clearly, he wanted to talk about whatever has been on his mind in the past days. So did Caitlin.

'So', she smiled at him, 'are you going to tell me what's been going on with you on Earth 38?'

Cisco opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. He did this for a few times, looking at Caitlin with wide eyes, before he looked away and shook his head.

'I don't know how to say it.'

That was a first, for Cisco. He was always so quick with his words, always quiping something and saying his mind, always saying things that were, even so, well thought.

His silence was endearing to Caitlin, terribly so. It was in moments like these when she truly became aware of how much she cared for Cisco, how much she loved him and in what way.

So she took a few steps closer, standing in front of him, making him look up at her again.

'Cisco', she said sweetly, 'were you jealous of Brainy because you thought he was interested in me?'

He blushed instantly, but he didn't look away. He didn't say anything, either, but he did nod.

So Caitlin grabbed his hand, intertwined their fingers together.

'There was no need.', she smiled. 'Not just because of Nia, but because of me, too.'

'You?'

'I liked that you were jealous.', she admitted. 'I… I didn't think you'd ever be, for me.'

He just blinked at her, for a few long moments. Then he pursed his lips and steeled himself, straightening his back and strengthening his hold on her hand.

'I've been jealous for you since day one. The strength of it varied, sure, but it was always there.'

Caitlin breathed out, shakily, because it was much more than she thought.

'I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner.', she whispered. 'I'm so sorry I didn't-', she took a deep breath, 'I didn't realize how I felt for you earlier.'

'So you do.', Cisco said in a rush. 'You do feel something for me.'

'Yes, of course I do.'

'No, but, I mean', his eyes grew wide, 'like more than friends, right? You like me more than friends.'

'I do.', Caitlin smiled.

'And you don't like Brainy?'

'I like Brainy just fine.'

'Caitlin!', he sounded indignant.

'Cisco!', she responded in kind.

'I'm serious!'

'So am I!'

'No, you're making fun of me.'

She really was. 'I'm not.'

'You're being mean.', Cisco pouted.

'I'm not.'

Caitlin didn't give him a chance to answer. She finished the discussion by shutting Cisco's mouth in the best way possible.

She kissed him, just on this side of strongly, just until he realized what was happening and returned the kiss. It was soft, from then on, gentle and extremely sweet.

Cisco stopped it, kind of abruptly, pulling his head back and narrowing his eyes at her.

'You're not thinking about Brainy, are you?'

Caitlin's first reaction was to roll her eyes. Then, she realized that she was going to have her work cut out for her in this relationship. She was excited for it, though.

She was terribly excited and, looking into Cisco's eyes and feeling his fingers in hers, she felt very happy, happier than she had been in a long, long time.

So Caitlin smiled and kissed Cisco as hard as she could, to prove to him just how much she was  _ not  _ thinking about Brainy.

◁kv▷

'Why are you smirking like that?', Nia asked when Brainy came back to her side, already reaching for his hand.

'You really shouldn't leave me unsupervised.'

'What did you do?'

'Well', his smirk grew, 'I made a friend in Doctor Snow and made Cisco as jealous as I could.'

Nia narrowed her eyes. 'Why did you do that?'

'Because it was obvious that they cared for each other, but neither of them was going to say anything about it!'

'That's true.', Kara said, coming to their side. 'Barry's been complaining about it for years.'

'See?', Brainy grinned. 'I did a good thing! I'm certain they are going to have a conversation about it, now.'

'Since when do you enjoy playing Cupid?', Nia couldn't help but ask.

Brainy didn't answer, not really. Instead, he grinned and gave her a kiss, making Kara walk away laughing.


	3. Day 2: Canon Divergent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Caitlin came into her lab, she found Cisco holding the cure. He didn’t want to take it, not anymore. He was feeling a lot of things, some conflicting, but Cisco knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he will not take the cure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember which episode this is from, and I can't be bothered to google it. Honestly, this season is all blurry in my head.

When Caitlin came into her lab, she found Cisco holding the cure.

He didn’t want to take it, not anymore. He was feeling a lot of things, some conflicting, but Cisco knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he will not take the cure.

She didn’t know that, though, she thought that was why he was there. Cisco saw the pain in her eyes. Even if Caitlin was smiling softly at him, in a very understanding way, the thought of Cisco without Vibe brought her pain.

He never wanted to hurt her. Never ever. And yet, that was exactly what he did, in the past weeks. 

Cisco will do his very best to fix his wrongdoing. So he made his way to Caitlin’s side and handed her the cure.

She took a deep, shaky breath. ‘I’ll do it, of course I’ll do it.’

‘You won’t.’, Cisco shook his head. ‘I don’t want it anymore.’

Caitlin’s jaw dropped in shock. ‘What happened? Did… Is Kamilla okay with you being a metahuman?’

He laughed, humorlessly, as Caitlin looked on in confusion.

‘So, at first, she said she was fine with it, that she didn’t care.’

‘That’s good, isn’t it?’

Cisco shook his head. ‘It would have been, if the conversation ended there. But it didn’t.’

‘What happened?’, she asked again.

‘She was angry that I lied to her, that I didn’t tell her from the start. Kamilla didn’t understand why I couldn’t do that and, by the end of her rant…’, Cisco sighed. ‘She can’t be with a metahuman.’

‘But we have the cure.’, Caitlin said strongly. ‘You can take it and-’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t think I wanna be with someone who thinks like that.’

That seemed to shut Caitlin up. It made Cisco smile.

‘I liked Kamilla, a lot. But I didn’t like her, today. Not at all.’

‘I’m sorry.’, Caitlin said, before taking a deep breath and bringing the cure up to eye level. ‘But if you still want…’

‘No.’, Cisco said with certainty. ‘I wanted to take the cure because I wanted an easy way out, and because I wanted to change myself so that… people would like me better. I was wrong. Very wrong.’

Clearly, Caitlin wanted to say something about that, but she didn’t. Even if she was biting on her lower lip, she didn’t say anything.

‘I’m sorry. I know I’ve hurt you and I never wanted to do that.’

‘It’s not about that, Cisco. I just want you to be happy.’ 

Her voice shook and, surprisingly so, it broke Cisco’s heart. So he took the cure from her hands, placed it on the nearest table and then hugged her.

Caitlin was quick to hug him back.

‘And there we have it.’, he said against her cheek. ‘I can’t be happy without you.’

He felt, more than he saw, Caitlin gasp. Maybe he had said too much, but he wasn’t going to take it back. It was the truth, anyway. 

‘I thought you liked being Vibe.’, Caitlin said in a whisper. ‘You seemed happy, with a breach in your fist, saving the day with The Flash.’

Cisco stepped out of the hug and made a point to look Caitlin in the eyes. ‘I’m happy when I’m with my friends, fighting side by side and helping people. I still want everything that Kamilla… represented. But I am happy, here, I really am.’

‘Just because it didn’t work out with Kamilla, that doesn’t mean that-’

‘Really, Caitlin?’, he snorted. ‘You’re going with the  _ There’s more fish in the sea _ approach?’

‘I’m just saying’, she rolled her eyes, ‘you shouldn’t give up on love.’

Cisco narrowed his eyes because, after Jay and Julian, it really seemed like that was exactly what Caitlin did.

‘Do as I say, not as I do.’, she teased, making him laugh.

After they both quieted down, Cisco leveled her with a look.

‘Does that mean I’m forgiven?’

‘There’s nothing to forgive, Cisco. You were doing what you thought was best for you. Nobody can fault you for that.’

While that was a nice sentiment, Cisco didn’t feel it.

‘I wish I would have done more for Nora.’

Caitlin’s face instantly fell. ‘Me too but I don’t-I don’t think we could have saved her.’

She was probably right, but that didn’t make him feel any better. It didn’t work on Caitlin either, considering she was on the verge of crying. 

‘Where are they?’, she whispered.

‘Time Vault, but I’m not supposed to know that. Joe went home to Cecille and Jemma.’

‘Yeah, I think I’m gonna go home too.’

She was still trying not to cry, so Cisco offered a sleepover. Caitlin refused, politely, assured him she was okay, so he let it go.

He would have liked not to spend the night alone, but he also knew that he needed to be alone. Get his thoughts in order, his feelings too.

So Cisco went home and in a not that surprising turn of events, spent most of the night thinking of Caitlin, in ways that she wouldn’t have liked.

◁kv▷

Things got weird a month later.

Caitlin kept… looking at him. When he couldn’t see her, when he could, she just… stared at him, like he was a particularly difficult chemistry problem she had trouble solving.

And it was really ridiculous, because all she had to do was ask. Whatever was on her mind, whatever answer she needed from Cisco, all Caitlin had to do was ask, and he’d tell her.

But she didn’t ask, didn’t say anything. Just kept… looking.

Cisco was feeling mildly uncomfortable, terribly curious and utterly confused.

◁kv▷

It was the middle of the day and Caitlin was getting ready to leave, as she chatted with Iris about something.

Cisco didn’t want to interrupt, but he did.

‘I have a doctor's appointment.’, Caitlin said easily.

He panicked, instantly. She chuckled.

‘It’s fine, Cisco. Nothing’s wrong, it’s just a checkup.’

‘Why do you need a checkup? Why can’t you do a checkup? You usually do your own checkups.’

Caitlin shared an amused look with Iris. ‘This is not the sort of checkup I can do on my own.’

He frowned, deeply. ‘Do you want me to come with you? Maybe you shouldn’t drive.’

Iris was snickering into her hands, which was ridiculous of her, and Caitlin was clearly trying not to burst out laughing. She grabbed Cisco’s shoulder.

‘You can come with me, if you’d like. But I’m going to my OBGYN’s office.’

Cisco blushed, badly. ‘Well why didn’t you say so? You can go alone, you don’t need me there.’

‘I don’t.’, Caitlin agreed. ‘But you can pick me up afterwards and we can go for ice cream?’

‘Sure.’, he didn’t hesitate. ‘Text me.’

After Caitlin left, Iris was staring at Cisco with a spark in her eyes.

‘What?’, he couldn’t help but be defensive.

‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing.’

It was definitely something, considering Iris all but sang her answer. But she didn’t say anything else, and Cisco wasn’t in the mood to deal with her.

◁kv▷

He waited for her outside of the clinic. She smiled widely when she saw him, kept smiling through the car drive to their second favorite ice cream parlor.

She got three scoops, two chocolate and one coffee. That was a little weird, considering Caitlin usually ate froyo and had sugar only in her lowest moments. But she was still smiling, chatting away to Cisco about random, unimportant things.

When there was a pause in her speech, Cisco asked.

‘So I take it the doctor’s visit went well?’

Her eyes snapped up to his. She was still smiling, but it somehow turned mischievous.

‘Yes, it went well.’

‘So, uh, everything’s okay?’

‘Yes, Cisco.’, she chuckled. ‘Everything’s okay.’

‘Okay, then.’

Caitlin playfully narrowed her eyes. ‘Why are you making this weird?’

‘I don’t know.’, he answered after a beat. 

‘But you admit you’re making it weird?’

‘Yup.’

Caitlin snorted. ‘Well you figure it out and then get back to me, alright?’

‘Figure what out?’, Cisco frowned.

She didn’t answer, just told him that he looked cute when he was confused and changed the subject.

Cisco had no idea what was going on with Caitlin.

◁kv▷

Over the next month, they went out every other day.

Always by Caitlin’s incentive, always involving things that Cisco liked, like burgers, chilli fries, Netflix or newly released superhero movies.

They texted every night, after they got home, and every morning, before they got to work.

Some days, Caitlin took her tablet and worked in Cisco’s workshop, side by side him, taking often breaks that were usually filled with laughter.

Three times, she fell asleep on Cisco’s couch after watching Netflix. He didn’t have the heart to wake her up, so he covered her in a blanket and let her sleep.

Every once in a while, Cisco would catch Barry or Ralph looking at them in a way. A weird way, that spoke of excitement and… cuteness. Iris kept chuckling silently whenever they were in the same room.

It took about three weeks for him to realize it was happening.

It took another week for him to realize that he was dating Caitlin.

It took three days of analyzing every interaction they had, every look Caitlin threw his way, every touch and smile. Three days of agonizing confusion, anxiety and just straight up thinking he was crazy.

But he wasn’t. He knew Caitlin, he knew what she was like and what her actions meant. So he knew that he wasn’t imagining things.

He just didn’t know what to do about it.

◁kv▷

An opportunity arose on a sunny Friday. There was a spring in Caitlin’s steps since the moment she came into work.

It was a pretty chill day, no metahuman wreaking havoc, Barry and Iris at their respective workplaces, Ralph doing whatever he did on a day like this, Caitlin and Cisco were in his workshop.

They ordered pizza for lunch, and that was when Caitlin got a text that had her jumping in excitement.

‘I’ve been on the waiting list for Phantom of the Opera.’

‘The… play, right? That’s a play.’

‘Yes, that’s a play.’, Caitlin smiled at him, before going back to typing. ‘And I just got us two tickets for tonight.’

Cisco blinked in silence, making her look up and frown at him.

‘If you want to join me, that is. You don’t have to-’

‘Sure, I’ll join you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a proper play, like in a theater and-’

‘You’ll have to wear a suit.’

‘Sure.’ 

Cisco’s heart was beating rapidly, but Caitlin was smiling widely at him, so it was alright.

◁kv▷

She looked incredible, in a black sparkly dress, with curls in her hair and a bright pink lipstick. 

Honestly, Cisco stopped breathing for a second there, and it took another millisecond to realize that he was in love with Caitlin, and had been for a long while.

‘You okay?’, she asked gently.

‘Is this a date?’, was what came out of his mouth. 

Caitlin’s eyes grew wide, but she didn’t say anything.

‘Is this a date?’, Cisco asked again, slowly. ‘Was… Are you… This past month… Have they all been dates?’

She took a shaky breath and spoke in a whisper. ‘They don’t have to be, if that’s not what you want.’

‘And if I do?’

‘Cisco-’

‘What if I want them to be dates? What if I want tonight to be a date?’

Caitlin smiled at that, even if there was a lot of hesitation in her eyes. ‘You need to be sure, Cisco. Because we… we care for each other too much to do anything that we aren’t sure of.’

‘Are  _ you  _ sure?’

She nodded, slowly. ‘Been for awhile now.’

‘Yeah, me too.’, Cisco admitted. ‘I just didn’t… think you’d ever consider it. Me, consider me.’

Caitlin smiled. ‘Then you’re an idiot.’

He grinned. ‘Yeah, I’m an idiot, but you  _ like  _ this idiot.’

She didn’t deny it, and she blushed. ‘Come on, we’re going to be late.’

Cisco grinned, and when she slotted her fingers between his, he grinned even wider.

◁kv▷

Of course, Caitlin cried. It was a real good production, and there were times when Cisco thought he was going to shed some tears, too, but Caitlin cried a lot.

It was alright, though, because he held her hand all through it.

◁kv▷

He walked her home, and because they were talking, still discussing the play, Cisco didn't really realize when they made it all the way to her living room.

'I should go.'

'Don't.', she smiled. 'I want to tell you something.'

He took a deep breath. 'Okay, I'm listening.'

'You don't have to say anything now, just keep the information in mind for a later date.'

'What information?'

She was having difficulties with saying out loud whatever it was she wanted to say. So Cisco smiled at her, grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

'I want kids.', she said in a rush. 'I want kids, too, and I went to the doctor and made sure everything was in working order.'

'That was last month!', Cisco kind of squealed.

'I told you, I've been sure about us for a while now.'

'But-'

'Not now, Cisco.', she said calmly. 'We've barely been on a date and yes, we've known each other for years, but it's too soon.'

'Yeah it is!', he still hadn't calmed down. Cisco didn't even get used to the idea of actually being with her yet, and she was already discussing kids?!

'I just wanted to let you know, that whenever we're ready, when and if we get there, I want the same thing you do.'

'Okay.', he managed to say after a moment. 'Okay, message received, we'll pick up this discussion at a later date.'

'There will be more of those, right? Dates?'

Cisco snorted at her attempt of teasing. She missed by a mile.

'Loads of dates.', he teased back. 'Tons and tons more.'

She didn't say anything, but her smile grew wider, as did the spark in her eyes. Caitlin was excited, but Cisco also saw the love she had for him.

It made him feel excited too, to the point of desperation.

'I'm gonna kiss you now. You have three seconds to stop me.'

Caitlin scrunched up her nose. 'I'm never going to stop you from doing that.'

Then she grabbed him by the tie and pulled him closer, kissing him like they've been doing it for years.

And, honestly, they've both been idiots, they really should have been doing this for years.


	4. Day 3: Doppelgängers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A breach opening in the middle of the Cortex ceiling was a normal occurrence. Really, it happened most days, when Cisco forgot his phone, or tablet, or whatever. But having a very pregnant looking Caitlin fall out of said breach was not normal. Not normal at all.

A breach opening in the middle of the Cortex ceiling was a normal occurrence. Really, it happened most days, when Cisco forgot his phone, or tablet, or whatever.

However, this was not normal, considering Cisco was standing right beside her.

‘Uh, Cisco?’, Barry asked, wearily.

‘Not me!’

Also, having a very pregnant looking Caitlin fall out of said breach was not normal. Not normal at all.

The three of them watched in stunned silence as the other Caitlin fell on the floor. She was wearing black leggings and a big Supergirl shirt, that was stretched over her swollen belly. Her hair was dyed bright purple, and when she fell on her back, she cursed, very loudly. She had a wedding ring, Caitlin absently noticed.

As the breach closed, they were all silent.

And then her water broke. She looked up, shocked, at Caitlin.

‘It’s too soon.’, other Caitlin said. ‘I’m due in three weeks.’

Caitlin instantly switched on. It didn’t matter, that there was a doppleganger on an Earth she didn’t belong on, that something clearly happened to have other-Cisco send her here. All that mattered was that Doctor Snow had a patient in front of her.

‘Help me.’, she ordered, and Barry and Cisco instantly moved.

They picked other-Caitlin off the ground and took her to the med lab. Once she was settled on the bed and Caitlin was gathering everything she needed, she also asked other-Caitlin to tell her everything.

‘We were just having a nice night in, when the phone rang.’

‘I mean about the pregnancy.’

Other-Caitlin snorted. ‘Right, sorry. Everything was normal. From day one, till now, everything was normal, within parameters, no problems, none whatsoever, not even high blood pressure.’

‘So it’s the breach.’, Cisco said. ‘It triggered your birth?’

The woman had a contraction, then, and her face scrunched up in pain as her eyes flashed Killer Frost blue. She didn’t yell, though, kept her cool through it. When it was over, she leveled Caitlin with a look.

‘It’s happening. This is happening.’

‘I’m going to have to check, but yes, it looks like it.’

Other-Caitlin sighed. ‘I’m going to need help getting out of these clothes.’

Cisco moved to help, but Other-Caitlin yelled ‘Not you!’, as Caitlin yelled ‘Cisco, no!’.

‘Get out of here.’, Caitlin told him and Barry. ‘Bring Iris, I’m going to need help.’

‘Yeah, Iris.’, Other-Caitlin nodded. ‘Iris is fine.’

It took a moment or two, but the boys left.

Other-Caitlin suddenly looked terrified.

‘Hey, it’s going to be okay.’, Caitlin said as gently as possible. ‘I’ve got you.’

‘I know you do. If you’re a doctor, you’re definitely a good one.’

‘You’re not a doctor?’

She shook her head. ‘Meet Kat Snow, Central City’s most successful fashion vlogger.’

Caitlin stared, unmoving.

‘I also have a clothing and accessories line. It’s called Snow Patrol.’

‘Okay.’, Caitlin said slowly. ‘Bigger issues right now. You’ll tell us all about that later.’

Like clockwork, the boys came back then. Barry, with Iris in his arms and Cisco, suited up.

‘Okay.’, Iris said, wide eyed, after a beat. ‘I’ll…’

‘Go scrub, yes.’, Caitlin urged her on.

‘What Earth are you from?’, Cisco asked Other-Caitlin. ‘Oh, nevermind.’

He didn’t let her answer, just grabbed her hand, clearly having a vibe. He came out of it shocked, but it was somehow soft. He was staring at her, blinking slowly.

‘Bigger issues right now, Francis.’, she said slowly.

‘It’s Cisco.’, he breathed out.

‘Why are you suited up?’

He shook his head and snapped out of it. ‘We’re gonna go help your… baby’s father. It’s just Snart, we’ve stopped him a couple of times.’

‘Yeah, sure.’, Barry shrugged. ‘Should be easy.’

Kat went into another contraction, then.

Caitlin called for Iris, told the boys to be careful and get out of there, and went to work.

◁kv▷

It wasn’t the first metahuman baby Caitlin delivered and honestly, there was no difference from delivering a human baby. But, because the baby came early, it was just the tiniest bit more difficult. Kat was a champ through it, only frosting over a patch or two of the lab, and Iris was a massive help to Caitlin. 

A baby girl was born. 

Surprisingly enough, the baby was healthy. Even if she was born too early, she was healthy, just a little bit too tiny, and her mother was doing well, too. 

When Caitlin managed to actually look at her, actually see her as a baby, not just as a patient, she understood the look Cisco got in his eyes after he vibed Kat.

Because this baby, it had Cisco’s skintone and the shape of his lips. 

‘Let me clean her up.’, she gently told Kat. ‘And let Iris clean you up. I’m sure our Cisco will come back with yours.’

‘Oh.’, Iris said. ‘Oh, that explains it.’

Caitlin didn’t really feel like it explained anything, but again, bigger issues at hand. She didn’t feel at all prepared to deal with the thought of her and Cisco having a baby together.

So she didn’t. Instead, she cleaned the baby up, wrapped her in a nice blue blanket, and worried about her boys coming back from the other Earth.

◁kv▷

When a breach opened in the Cortex again, this time it was Other-Cisco that came through first. Francis, Kat said was his name. He landed perfectly in a squat, superhero landing, Caitlin couldn’t help but think, and he did not have eyes for anything else other than Kat.

He was crying in happiness and saying her name over and over again.

‘We’re fine.’, she said, and that shut him up. 

Francis got to the side of the bed and his eyes fell on the baby. His knees gave up, but Barry flashed a chair underneath him. Wordlessly, Kat placed the baby in his arms and Francis started crying harder, sobbing. It was still happy, though, and Kat was grinning wildly, even if she was clearly tired.

Caitlin couldn’t help but be happy for them, couldn’t help but feel proud because of her hand in delivering the baby girl safe and sound.

Like it always happened when she felt happy, her eyes moved to Cisco.

He was already watching her, with a lot of hope in his eyes.

Oh. Oh,  _ shit _ .

Caitlin took a shaky breath and looked away. She had to look away, because the way Cico was looking at her, it was filled with love, too. Lots and lots of love, directed at her, and hope, hope for the two of them having what Kat and Francis had.

‘Guys’, she said gently, ‘let’s give them a minute.’

Iris and Barry were the first out the door, and when Caitlin and Cisco followed, his hand was gently placed on her back.

It hurt, somehow. It hurt her heart.

◁kv▷

Francis was the one to come out of the med lab first, and he rushed to Caitlin, hugged her tightly.

She was surprised, but it didn’t stop her from hugging him back.

‘Thank you.’, he said against her hair.

‘You’re very welcome.’

He stepped out of the hug and wiped his eyes, straightened his back. ‘She wants to go home.’

Caitlin frowned. ‘They’re both okay now, it should be fine, but going through a breach triggered delivery. I don’t know what’s going to do to a baby.’

‘It’s fine.’, he shrugged, looking to Iris and Barry. ‘We’ve had babies go through breaches before.’

‘What?’, Barry asked. He was ignored.

‘Alright then, go.’, Caitlin nodded. ‘But you should probably still see a doctor when you get back.’

‘Yeah, Doc Tannerhauser’s going to take good care of her daughter and granddaughter.’

Caitlin’s eyes twitched at that, but she didn’t say anything.

‘You know, I’d like to say we’re going to name the kiddo in your honor’, Francis grinned, ‘but that would be weird, considering her mom name’s Caitlin, too.’

She chuckled at that. ‘It’s fine, thank you for the sentiment, but I don’t need that kind of… thanks.’

‘Oh, I know. But we still owe you one’, he turned to Cisco and Barry, ‘and another one to you. So call when you need the backup.’

‘Or pretty clothes and accessories for special events or every day wear!’, Kat yelled from the med lab.

Her yell was followed by a baby crying, that made them all wince.

‘It’s a learning curve, this parenting thing.’, Francis hung his head. ‘We’ll be out of your hair.’

‘Get in here, Francis!’, Kat yelled. ‘This is half your fault, you know!’

All the Earth 1 people were trying not to laugh, and Francis said another goodbye and went back to the medlab. 

◁kv▷

Iris and Barry were throwing them weird looks for the rest of the day, but both Caitlin and Cisco ignored them. They ignored each other, too, obsessively so.

It got real awkward, real fast. By the time Caitlin made it home, she felt emotionally drained, absolutely exhausted. She took a quick shower and set camp on the couch, ready to order food and spend the rest of the evening watching anything but romcoms and thinking about anything but Cisco.

Of course he showed up. Knocking at the door, for once, bearing gifts of tacos and beer.

‘It’s weird.’, is what he started with. ‘I know it’s weird, but I don’t want it to be weird, I don’t want  _ us _ to be weird. So let’s not be weird, let’s be not-weird, our usual levels of not-weird.’

Caitlin couldn’t help but smile.

‘Think you can say  _ weird  _ a few more times? I don’t think I quite got that.’

‘See?’, Cisco grinned. ‘You’re teasing me. We’re back to normal.’

They weren’t, they really weren’t.

Because as they watched a movie, sitting on the couch side by side and fighting over who got more tacos and beer, Caitlin was not thinking about normal things.

She could only think of Cisco, in ways she had never let herself think of before. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the seed had been there from the start. Maybe not the very start, maybe only after she had started to move on from Ronnie’s death, but the thought of being with Cisco had been in her mind for a while, now.

But she always found excuses to dismiss it. Some were strong, like how she wasn’t ready to move on from Ronnie or how happy he was with Gypsy, some weren’t so strong, like Julian or Jay.

Caitlin had none, now. She couldn’t possibly find an excuse to dismiss the possibility of her and Cisco. Not now, when he said he was ready to start dating again after the Kamilla fiasco, and not after seeing another pair of Caitlins and Ciscos doing it.

Being together. Getting married. Starting a family. Still doing their jobs and being superheroes.

‘You’re thinking about them, aren’t you?’

When Cisco said it, Caitlin’s brain shortwired. She didn’t think at all before she blurted out the answer.

‘No, I’m thinking about us.’

Once she realized what she said, Caitlin turned with wide eyes to look at Cisco. He was supporting a similar look.

‘So we’re doing this?’, he asked slowly. ‘We’re talking about it?’

Caitlin felt overwhelmed, so she just managed to shrug.

He muttered something under his breath, but he also turned to face her better.

‘Do you…’, Cisco pulled a face and looked away for a moment before trying again.

‘Okay, look. The thing is, do we-nope!’

This went on for a full minute before Caitlin got annoyed by it.

‘Just say whatever you’re thinking, Cisco. We’re not going to… Whatever you say, we’re not going to fight over this.’

‘We’re not?’, he raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head. ‘No. I can’t have us fighting over this.’

‘Yeah, me neither. So, I should say what I’m thinking?’

‘Yes, and I’ll do the same, I promise.’

Cisco took another deep breath.

‘On a scale of 1 to 100, how disgusted are you with the idea of having a baby with me?’

‘Minus 500.’, she said quickly, clearly shocking him.

‘See, that’s my problem. I don’t believe that.’

‘Why not?’, Caitlin asked, wearily.

‘Because in all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never heard you talk about having kids.’

He was right about that, Caitlin had never talked about children. Mostly, because she had never been with someone long enough to get to that point. She would have gotten there with Ronnie.

‘And’, Cisco went on slowly, ‘you’ve never said or did anything to let me know you think of me as something more than you… brother.’

She remembered him saying that before, in a loud club before asking her to dance, even if she was dating Jay.

‘Friend?’, he frowned. ‘Best friend?’

Caitlin swallowed with difficulty. ‘Do any of those feel right? When you say those words out loud, do they feel right?’

‘I asked you first.’, Cisco petulantly said after a moment, making her roll her eyes.

It took a few moments for Caitlin to gather the strength she needed to say the words out loud, but she said it, and she looked straight at Cisco as she did.

‘I didn’t fall in love with you from the start.’

His jaw dropped at that, but Caitlin didn't stop.

‘You were my best friend, for a long time, and you still are. You always will be, but... ‘ She took a deep breath and managed to smile. ‘In the past months, maybe years, I’ve stopped myself from thinking about you as more than that. I’ve always found reasons to do that.’

‘Reasons?’, he frowned. ‘Like what?’

‘Like Gypsy and Kamilla. Julian and Jay.’

Cisco nodded gravely at that, clearly understanding what she was saying.

‘I can’t find a reason anymore.’, Caitlin admitted with a whisper.

‘Just because of Kat and Francis?’

‘No, but meeting them… It kinda gave me the courage to have this conversation.’

Again, Cisco nodded at that.

‘This conversation, in which you haven’t really contributed with anything, yet.’, Caitlin pointed out gently.

He sighed at that, deep and long, running a hand down his face. HIs fingers were still covering his mouth when he spoke.

‘Cisco, I didn’t get that.’

‘I said’, he spoke roughly, ‘that I’ve been doing the same thing, probably for longer than you have.’

She just looked at him, all but begging him to go on.

‘Caitlin’, his voice was honey sweet, ‘I’ve always liked you and I’ve always wanted to know what it would be like to be with you.’

That was nice to hear, so very nice to hear. Caitlin’s heart was dancing wildly in her chest.

‘And I always thought’, Cisco went on, even as his voice cracked, ‘that if we’d ever just… give it a try, then we’d, I mean, I think…’ He shook his head. ‘There’d be a good chance we’d make it last.’

Caitlin felt tears stinging her eyes, but they were the good type of tears, ones that came when you were overwhelmed with happiness. But she didn’t let them fall.

Instead, she grabbed Cisco’s hand as tightly as she could.

It made him smile. ‘Look, I’m not saying we should start having babies tomorrow.’

She snorted. ‘Yes, you should probably take me out on a date first. At the very least.’

‘Tomorrow?’, he sounded almost desperate. ‘Tomorrow, after work?’

‘Alright. Tomorrow, after work.’

‘Okay.’, Cisco smiled. ‘I have no idea what we’re going to do, but I’ll let you know.’

He gently kissed the back of her hand before letting go, getting up and saying that he should probably go home. Caitlin didn’t stop him, even though she wished to. She walked him to the door.

‘We’re good, right?’, he asked, standing in her open doorway, hair falling in his face.

He was a beautiful thing, and Caitlin couldn’t wait to be his, and for him to be hers.

‘No matter what, Cisco, I promise you that we’re good. You’re always going to be my best friend, no matter what.’

‘No matter how badly tomorrow’s date goes?’

Caitlin playfully narrowed her eyes. ‘Well, if you’re going in with that attitude…’

‘Sorry.’, he chuckled. ‘Sorry, I’m nervous.’

She found it terribly endearing. ‘Don’t be. I think we’ve already been on a few thousand dates.’

He smiled at that. ‘This is different, though.’

Caitlin smiled, because it was, and she was nervous, too, but she was also excited.

He didn’t leave immediately, seemed to hesitate. Slowly, very slowly, he got close to Caitlin and when she didn’t retreat or stop him, Cisco gently kissed her cheek.

It wasn’t a lot, but it was the sweetest thing he had ever done for her, even sweeter than making Frost a suit or bringing her hot cocoa when she was having period pains.

It wasn’t a lot, to begin with, but as far as beginnings went, Caitlin had a very good feeling about this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did mention the surprising amount of babies, right?
> 
> Also if anyone wants to write about this other Earth AU... I'd give you my first born.


	5. Day 4: Free Day - Good Omens AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more than 6000 years before the Apocalypse: She just appeared by his side, slithered as a snake by his feet and rose on two legs. He wasn’t supposed to talk to her, Francisco knew. He was an angel, she was a demon. They weren’t supposed to fraternize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, pretty much, taken straight from the show. But you don't need to watch the show or read the book to understand this. I highly suggest you put them on your todo list, tho. The book is amazing and the show is incredible.

◁a little more than 6000 years before the Apocalypse▷

She just appeared by his side, slithered as a snake by his feet and rose on two legs. Wings as dark as night, matching cloth covering her pale skin, long hair so blonde it was almost white, bright blue eyes with black slits. 

He wasn’t supposed to talk to her, Francisco knew. Nobody ever told him otherwise, but he knew it as an absolute truth. 

He was an angel, she was a demon. They weren’t supposed to fraternize.

But he couldn’t help it. He didn’t have a lot of souls to talk to, at the Gates of Eden, Eve and Adam kept to themselves. She came to Francisco's side as a breath of fresh air, like a last ray of sunshine before the storm.

‘I can’t see what’s so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil, anyway.’, she frowned at him.

‘Well, it must be bad… uh-’

‘Crawley.’

‘Crawley. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have tempted Adam and Eve into it.'

She shrugged. ‘They just said to get up there and make some trouble.’

‘Well, obviously. You’re a demon, it’s what you do.’

She kept talking, and he kept listening. He answered, felt compelled to answer her, thought twice before saying anything. That is, until she asked about his flaming sword.

‘I gave it away!’, he whined. ‘There are vicious animals. It’s going to be cold out there, and she’s expecting already. And I said  _ Here you go, flaming sword, don’t thank me! And don’t let the sun go down on you here _ .’

Francisco sighed. ‘I do hope I did the right thing.’

‘Oh, you’re an angel.’, she looked at him. ‘I don’t think you can do the wrong thing.’

‘Oh, oh-thank, thank you. It’s been bothering me.’

‘I’ve been worrying, too.’, Crawley admitted. ‘What if I did the right thing, with the whole eat-the-apple business? A demon can get into a lot of trouble for doing the right thing.’

She snorted. ‘It’d be funny if we both got it wrong, eh? If I did the good thing and you did the bad one.’

Both of them chuckled, before Francisco stopped getting distracted by her smile. 

‘No! It wouldn’t be funny at all!’

When the rain started, for the first time on Earth, Crawley was by Francisco’s side, at the edge of Eden, looking down at Eve and Adam and the flaming sword they shouldn’t have. 

When the rain started, Francisco covered Crawley with his wing. It would have been a shame for her to ruin her hair.

◁3004 BC▷

He was watching the animals board onto Noah’s boat when he heard a honey-sweet voice call his name and bid him hello.

Crawley’s hair was longer, a little more unkept. But, just as the last time, she was polite, even as she teased him.

‘What’s all this about?’, she asked, after. ‘Build a big boat and fill it with a traveling zoo?’

‘From what I hear’, he lowered his voice, ‘God’s a bit tetchy. Wiping out the human race, big storm.’

‘All of them?’

‘Just the locals.’, he explained. ‘And God’s not actually going to wipe out all of them. Noah, up there, his sons, their wives, they’re all going to be fine.’ 

‘But they’re drowning everybody else?’

She seemed incredulous, even as Francisco nodded.

‘Not the kids?’, Crawley scrunched up her nose. ‘You can’t kill kids.’

He was surprised to hear such words coming out of a demon’s mouth. But he felt it, he felt just the same. If Francisco were to open his mouth, he would have said something that would have surely made God punish him. So he kept it shut, mumbled an affirmative instead.

They kept talking, for a while, even after it started raining, after all the humans ran away, looking for a salvation they will never find. When it was just the two of them, standing in front of Noah’s Ark, Crawley covered Francisco’s head with her wing.

◁Golgotha, 33AD▷

He was expecting her, this time. If he knew how important this crucifixion was, then Crawley surely knew, too.

And sure enough, that sweet voice all but sang in his ear.

‘Come to smirk at the poor bugger, have you?’

‘Smirk? Me?’ He never smirked and really, she should know that by now.

‘Well, your lot put him on there.’

‘I’m not consulted on policy decisions, Crawley.’

‘Oh, I’ve changed it.’

‘Changed what?’

‘My name. Crawl-y just wasn’t really doing it for me. It’s a bit too… squirming-at-your-feet-ish.’

‘Well, you were a snake.’, he frowned. ‘So what is it now? Mephistopheles? Asmodeus?’

‘Caitlin.’

He liked that. It sounded a lot more gentle and lovely than Crawley, and it suited her.

Francisco realized that he probably shouldn’t say that out loud. It wouldn’t be good, for Caitlin to know it, and it wasn’t a good time, with Jesus gasping in pain on the cross.

‘Did you ever meet him?’, he found himself asking.

‘Yes, seemed a very bright young man.’ She smiled, but there were traces of pain in her eyes. ‘I showed him all the kingdoms of the world.’

Once again, that was something Francisco would have never thought to hear come out a demon’s mouth. 

‘Why?’, he asked.

‘He’s a carpenter from Galilee, his travel opportunities are limited.’

That was a lie. Francisco didn’t know how he knew it, but Caitlin was lying. It was the second time that she surprised him by showing heart.

‘What was it he said that got everyone so upset?’, she asked after Jesus cried out once again.

‘ _ Be kind to each other _ .’

Their eyes met for a brief second, and they shared a moment of understanding.

‘That’ll do it.’, Caitlin breathed out.

They stood in silence, side by side, until Jesus gave his last breath, at least for the time being.

‘I’ll see you around, Francisco.’

‘You too, Caitlin.’

She smiled at him. ‘See? It sounds so much better.’

As she walked away, hips moving under her dark cloak, Francisco couldn’t help but think that he really didn’t like his name. Everytime one of the other angels said it, it brought him anxiety and it made him feel like something bad was going to happen to him.

If Crawley could do it, then so could he. Right?

◁8 years later▷

Cisco was in a good mood. He liked Rome, because there were people that were starting to think beyond the scope of day to day life, and because the food was delicious.

So when he heard a familiar voice ask for a jug of whatever is drinkable, he instantly made his way to Caitlin’s side.

Her hair was a lot more curlier, fitted with a dark silver wreath and she was wearing a pair of dark glasses that hid her blue eyes.

‘Fancy running into you here.’, he smiled as he sat down next to her. ‘Still a demon, then?’

‘What kind of a stupid question is that? What else am I going to be, an aardvark?’

Clearly, Cisco was the only one in a good mood. Still, they clinked glasses. He introduced himself by his new name, talked about the delicious food, about the oysters he came to Rome for.

‘I’ve never eaten an oyster.’, she said, casually.

That wouldn’t do. She may be a demon, but that didn’t mean she didn’t deserve the finer things in life.

‘Oh, well, let me tempt you to-’

Her head snapped to him.

‘Oh, no, well-’, Cisco stammered, ‘that’s your job, isn’t it?’

Caitlin smirked, but she did accept his invitation. And for the rest of the day, her foul mood was gone.

◁the kingdom of Wessex, 537AD▷

Cisco felt absolutely ridiculous wearing an armour, but Caitlin looked absolutely divine wearing hers. The fact that he recognized her even under the helmet, just by her voice, really wasn’t important, there were more important things at hand.

‘What the hell are you playing at, Caitlin?’

‘I’m here spreading foment.’

‘What is that, some kind of porridge?’

‘No! I’m, you know, fomenting dissent and discord.’, she casually explained. ‘King Arthur’s been spreading too much peace and tranquility in the land, so I’m here, you know, fomenting.’

Cisco sighed. ‘Well, I’m meant to be fomenting peace.’

She tilted her head. ‘So we’re both working very hard in damp places and just canceling each other out?’

‘Well, you could put it like that.’, Cisco winced. ‘It is a bit damp.’

‘Be easier if we both stayed home.’

She was right. She also tried to convince him to lie in his reports, but she was, at the end of the day, right.

Still, Cisco didn’t fall for it. He walked away from Caitlin, and continued to do his job. And if he kept wondering about where her home was, nobody had to know.

◁the Globe Theatre, London, 1601 ▷

The corsets and wide skirts of the age were doing wonders for Caitlin’s aspect. But under all the beauty, she was still a snake.

This time, Cisco let himself fall for it.

They both had jobs to do in Edinburgh, there really was no need for both of them to make the trip there. One of them will suffice, they were equally as strong, when it came to miracle making. They had an Arrangement, this wouldn’t even be the first time they did it.

But if someone were to ask Cisco, in the future, how it all happened, he will say this was the moment when it started getting serious.

In that moment, though, he didn’t realize it. He just thought that knowing Caitlin was a good thing.

◁Paris, 1793▷

Honestly, all he wanted was to eat some crepes. He didn’t mean to end up in a French dungeon, on his way to the guillotine.

Caitlin’s voice, when it came from the dark, was a sweet relief. She looked better than ever.

‘What the deuce are you doing locked up in the Bastille, Cisco? I thought you were opening a book shop.’

‘Well, I was. I got peckish.’

‘Peckish?’, she tilted her head.

‘Well, if you must know, it was the crepes. You can’t get decent ones anywhere but Paris.’

She teased him. Oh, how she teased him, especially when she found out Cisco got reprimanded for performing too many petty miracles.

‘You’re lucky I was in the area.’, she smirked.

‘I suppose I am.’

For a moment, Cisco thought that she wasn’t going to do it, that she will let him get discorportated in the Bastille. But she didn’t. She snapped her fingers with a flourish and his chains unlocked from his wrists.

‘I suppose I should say thank you, for rescuing me.’

‘Don’t say that.’, she glared. ‘If my people hear I rescued an angel, I’ll be the one in trouble. And my lot do not send rude notes.’

‘Well, anyway, I’m very grateful. What about if I buy you lunch?’

Caitlin smirked again, that all-knowing, I’m-so-much-better-than-you smirk. But she did let him buy her crepes, once that day and again the next morning. She paid for the wine they drank in between. 

◁St. James’s Park, London, 1862▷

Here she was, looking as beautiful as ever, scowling at the ducks, having the audacity to ask him for holy water.

‘Out of the question.’

‘Why not?’, she asked, easily, completely ignoring his anger.

It made him calm down, and he couldn’t help but speak softly. ‘It would destroy you. I’m not bringing you a suicide pill, Caitlin.’

The mere thought of being on this Earth without her, it brought him pain. 

‘That’s not what I want it for.’, she argued. ‘Just insurance.’

He denied her, vehemently so. Said it would get him in trouble, but the truth was that he was afraid, afraid of losing her.

But he did just that, because the argument escalated.

‘I don’t need you.’, Caitlin sneered.

‘Well, and the feeling is mutual, obviously.’

Cisco didn’t get angry often. But when he did, he did it in a massive way, not only hurting the ones around him, but hurting himself the most.

◁London, 1941▷

He would have died at the hand on nazis if it weren’t for her.

Cisco thought he was doing a good thing, bringing prophecy books from his bookshop to the right hand men of the Fuhrer, also bringing the British Military Intelligence to capture them. But he was naive, and he would have been killed in a church (oh, the irony), if Caitlin didn’t show up.

Wearing a man’s suit that was fitted to her form, black as always and with heels that couldn’t be comfortable, doing a ridiculous dance as she made her way down the church’s aisle.

‘Sorry, consecrated ground. It’s like being at the beach in bare feet.’

‘What are you doing here?’, Cisco faked being angry, when in fact, he felt as much relief as he felt in the Bastille.

‘Stopping you from getting into trouble.’

Of course the nazis knew who she was. Caitlin Frost, apparently. ‘Your fame precedes you.’

‘Frost?’, Cisco spluttered.

‘You don’t like it?’, she actually pouted.

‘No, no. I didn’t say that. I’ll get used to it.’

She smiled at him, briefly, before commenting on how there was a lot of holy water left unguarded, and before dropping the metaphorical bomb about the physical bomb.

‘In about a minute, a German bomber will release a bomb that will land right here. If you all run away very fast, you might not die. You won’t enjoy dying. Definitely won’t enjoy what comes after.’

‘The bombs tonight will fall at East End.’, one of the nazis said.

‘Yes’, Caitlin raised an eyebrow, ‘it would take a last minute demonic intervention to throw them off course, yes.’

Oh. So Caitlin did that for Cisco.

‘And if, in 30 seconds, a bomb does land here’, she looked to him, ‘it would take a real miracle for my friend and I to survive.’

Less than a minute later, Cisco was feeling a little tired, having performed a good sized miracle, and him and Caitlin were the only things left standing in a pile of rubble.

‘That was very kind of you.’, he took off his hat.

She laughed fondly at him. ‘Shut up.’

‘Well, it was. No paperwork, for a start.’ His face fell. ‘Oh! The books! I forgot all the books! Oh, they’ll all be blown to-’

Caitlin, inexplicably so, handed him his bag, filled with books, completely untouched.

‘Little demonic miracle of my own.’, she said, like it was an insignificant thing. 

‘Lift home?’, she asked, like she was already over the moment.

Cisco wasn’t. In fact, he will never be over that exact moment, because that was the moment when he started to fall in love with Caitlin.

He cared about her, had cared about her for millennia, but that was the moment when he really let himself feel it all. 

Because with that simple, easy, little demonic miracle of saving his precious books, Caitlin showed that she knew him, knew what was important to him, how much he cared for his books. And she also showed that he cared for Cisco.

Oh, they were in so much trouble.

◁Soho, London, 1967▷

Cisco wasn’t a big fan of Caitlin’s Bentley, but he had no problem getting into it unannounced.

‘I work in Soho, I hear things. I hear that you’re setting up a heist to rob a church.’

She didn’t deny it.

‘Caitlin, it’s too dangerous. Holy water won’t just kill your body, it will destroy you completely.’

‘You told me what you think 105 years ago.’, she replied in a very cold manner.

‘And I haven’t changed my mind.’, Cisco said gently. ‘But I can’t have you risking your life, not even for something dangerous. So…’

He took out a thermos. ‘Don’t go unscrewing the cap.’

Caitlin clearly couldn’t believe it, her whole demeanor changed. She wasn’t cold anymore, but… fragile. He’d never seen her look like that.

‘It’s the real thing?’

‘The holiest.’ She didn’t need to know he blessed it himself.

‘After everything you said.’, Caitlin looked to him.

Sometimes, he really wished she’d stop wearing the sunglasses. He knew her eyes already, and he wished to see them, wished to read in them things that she left unsaid. 

Cisco looked away from her.

‘Should I say thank you?’, she teased.

‘Better not.’

‘Well, can I drop you anywhere?’

‘No, thank you.’ He was a five minute walk away from his bookshop, and they both knew it.

Still, she looked at him with clear disappointment.

‘Don’t look so disappointed. Perhaps one day we could, I don’t know…’, he smiled, looking at her, albeit briefly. ‘Go for a picnic. Dine at the Ritz.’

‘I’ll give you a lift.’, she shook her head. ‘Anywhere you want to go.’

He couldn’t look away, neither did she, and Cisco needed to tell the truth.

‘You go too fast for me, Caitlin.’

Cisco wasn’t talking about the Bentley, and she knew it.

He left after that, but the hurt look on Caitlin’s face didn’t leave him for decades to come.

◁11 years before the end of the world▷

When the Antichrist was born, Cisco didn’t hesitate.

The Antichrist had been on Earth for 24 hours, hand delivered by Caitlin to his (fake) human parents. In Soho, in Cisco’s bookshop, he and Caitlin had been drinking solidly for the past six hours.

They were both incredibly drunk, and he thought she was absolutely insane when she suggested it, but Cisco didn’t hesitate, he sobered up and he accepted her plan.

Once the Antichrist turned five, old enough to understand things, they will both be by his side, doing their job. Caitlin will try to turn him evil, Cisco will try to turn him good. Hopefully, like in King Arthur’s Wessex, they’ll cancel each other out.

They shook hands on it.

‘We’d be godparents, sort of’, Caitlin said in a heavily amused tone, ‘overseeing his upbringing. We do it right, he won’t be evil. Or good. He’ll just be normal.’

‘It might work!’, Cisco smiled. ‘Godparents.’

He liked the thought of it, loved the thought of being  _ something  _ with Caitlin.

‘Well, I’ll be damned.’, he chuckled.

Caitlin smirked, all inviting. ‘It’s not that bad when you get used to it.’

Of course, she had to go and ruin the moment.

◁six years before the end of the world▷

Warlock was… a boy. Like any other boy.

Well, like any other boy whose parents were filthy rich, with a father who was too involved in politics to care for him and a mother that was constantly organizing parties.

Caitlin did her job. She got hired as his nanny and taught Warlock how to be evil.

Cisco did his job. He got hired as a gardener and taught Warlock how to be good.

‘Nanny says living things are only fit to be ground under my heels.’

‘The gardener says that I must be kind and nice to everybody.’

They really thought it would work.

◁wednesday, three days to the end of the world▷

They… lost the Antichrist.

Warlock wasn’t the Antichrist.

The end of the world had started, and Caitlin and Cisco were left scrambling, looking for the real Antichrist. Side by side, in the Bentley, without hesitating.

◁friday, one day to the end of the world▷

They met at the third alternative rendezvous, at the old bandstand.

Caitlin was angry, furious, at God, at the great plan. She wanted to find the boy and kill him, but she didn’t want to be the one to do it, even if she was the demon.

She expected Cisco to do it, tried to convince him to, but he wouldn’t have it.

‘This is ridiculous, you’re ridiculous. I don’t even know why I’m still talking to you.’

He didn’t miss a beat. ‘Well, frankly, neither do I.’

‘Enough, I’m leaving.’

Caitlin turned to do just that, but Cisco couldn’t let her.

‘You can’t leave, Caitlin.’, his voice broke, embarrassingly so. ‘There isn’t anywhere to go.’

‘It’s a big universe.’, she argued. ‘Even if this all ends up in a puddle of burning goo, we can go off together.’

He couldn’t believe she actually said that. It was ridiculous and preposterous and impossible. It also made his heart beat incredibly fast, but it was absolutely impossible.

‘Listen to yourself.’, he breathed out.

‘How long have we been friends? 6000 years, Cisco!’

He wanted to keep his mouth shut, he knew better. But he couldn’t stop himself, angels couldn’t lie. 

‘Friends? We’re not friends! We are an angel and a demon. We have nothing whatsoever in common. I don’t even like you!’

How come Cisco was so good at lying?

‘You do.’, Caitlin all but sang, so sure of herself.

‘Even if I did know where the Antichrist was’, Cisco all but exploded, ‘I wouldn’t tell you. We’re on opposite sides!’

She made her way back to him, menacingly so. ‘We’re on our side.’

‘There is no  _ our side _ , Caitlin!’, he started in anger, but his voice shook. ‘Not anymore! It’s over.’

For a moment, she didn’t say anything. For a moment, the strength and anger in her expression went away.

‘Right.’, Caitlin nodded slowly.

She looked at him for a few long moments, before she turned around and walked away. 

‘Have a nice doomsday!’

In her wake, Cisco felt horrible. Never, in his life, had he ever felt as bad as he did in the old bandstand. He felt alone, he felt angry at himself, he felt regret for everything that he had said.

Six thousand and then some years of life, and Cisco didn’t know what heartbreak was. Not until that exact moment, as he watched Caitlin walk away in her stylish black jeans and a leather jacket, as he felt like the stupidest angel in the history of existence.

Was this was love was like? A breakup, like in all those books he read over the ages?

How could the humans stand it?

◁saturday, the last day of the world▷

Caitlin tried again. 

She showed up in the Bentley, wheels screeching as they stopped in front of the bookshop.

‘Angel!’, Caitlin yelled. ‘I apologise. Whatever I said, I didn’t mean it. Work with me, I’m apologising here. Yes? Good. Get in the car.’

‘What? No!’

‘The forces of Hell have figured out it was my fault. But we can run away together. Alpha Centauri!’

She kept babbling about stars, and Cisco didn’t understand.

‘Caitlin, you’re being ridiculous. Look, I’m quite sure, if I can just reach the right people, then I can get this all sorted out.’

‘There aren’t right people, there’s just God, moving in mysterious ways and not talking to any of us.’, she said, desperately so, standing right before him in the middle of a busy London street.

She was right, but he had a plan. Talk to God, tell Her everything, stop the Apocalypse, make it right. He could do it, he will do it.

Caitlin didn’t believe it was possible.

‘You’re so clever. How can somebody as clever as you be so stupid?’

That hurt Cisco, not because of the words, but because the fact that Caitlin said them, it meant that she really didn’t have any hope.

‘I forgive you.’, he breathed out.

Caitlin sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘I’m going home, Angel.’

She opened the door to the Bentley and stood by it, gesticulating wildly. ‘I’m getting my stuff and I’m leaving. And when I’m off in the stars, I won’t even think about you.’

Cisco didn’t quite believe her, but his heart was still in pieces.

‘I’ve been there.’, a random man on the street told him. ‘You’re better off without her.’

He wasn’t. He really wasn’t.

And that was why, when all of it will be over, after God will fix everything, Cisco was going to find Caitlin. He was going to find her, bring her back to his home, and they will be… godparents. Or something.

_ Something. _

◁kv▷

Getting discorporated was an ugly business. Traveling the Earth as a spectre was ever worse, but Cisco got the hang of it.

He found Caitlin drunk like never before, all alone in a pub.

‘Did you go to Alpha Centauri?’

‘Nah, I changed my mind. Stuff happened. I lost my best friend.’ 

Her voice shook, like she was holding back tears. Caitlin was mourning his loss, with a few bottles of wine. It meant something, it meant  _ everything _ , but they had bigger problems at the moment.

And then Caitlin told him that the bookshop burned down, and Cisco had a really difficult time to focus on what was important, like the world ending in a few hours.

But Caitlin, bless her damned soul, had saved the only book that mattered, the one book that was going to save the world.

And just like that, everything was back on track, and Caitlin and Cisco were both speeding towards the end of the world.

◁kv▷

They were standing in an unused airbase. There were American officers sleeping at their feet, the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were facing off the Antichrist and his friends, a bunch of 11 year olds and a small dog that used to be a hell hound. There was also an older woman who lied about being a psychic, an old man who had lost a few marbles on the way, a young witch and a… another guy, Cisco had no idea who he was.

And Caitlin.

Caitlin, who had just lost her beloved Bentley and her sunglasses, covered in soot and calmly waiting for Satan to appear.

Because he will. Satan will come to take his son, Adam, and the world will end.

‘Right. That was that.’, Caitlin said calmly, from where she had fallen on her knees. ‘It was nice knowing you.’

‘We can’t give up now.’ 

‘This is Satan himself. It isn’t about Armageddon. This is personal.’, she was angry, very angry.

‘We are fucked!’, she screamed.

‘Come up with something’, Cisco screamed right back, ‘or… or I’ll never talk to you again.’

That did the job. Caitlin grunted and froze time.

When Cisco opened his eyes, his feet were in sand, the kind of soft sand that once surrounded the Garden of Eden. His wings were out, white and shiny as ever, and Caitlin was by his side, scrubbed clean with her dark wings glinting in the sun, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

Adam was standing between them.

They had never spoken to the child. All those years they spent training the Antichrist, it wasn’t Adam. But he listened to them now.

And he saved the world. With Caitlin and Cisco by his side, holding his hands, Adam banished Satan and saved the world.

_ They saved the world. _

◁saturday night▷

‘Angel, what if the Almighty planned it like this all along, from the very beginning?’ She passed him the wine bottle.

‘Could have. I wouldn’t put it past Her.’

And if She did, Cisco thought, than She surely knew about both Caitlin and Cisco, about what they’ve been doing and about… what they’ve been feeling.

When Caitlin offered to let Cisco stay at her place because his bookshop burned down, Cisco couldn’t care less about what God knew or planned. He just cared about the love he felt in his heart, and the soft way Caitlin was looking at him.

‘I don’t think my side would like that, Caitlin.’ 

‘You don’t have a side anymore. Neither of us do. We’re on our own side.’

Cisco had a thought, then, and he looked up to the sky, fully expecting God to smite him right then and there. But She didn’t, so he took that as incentive.

He struggled to meet her eyes and say the words out loud, but he needed to. Wanted it too, so Cisco took a deep breath and spoke slowly. 

‘Thank you for the offer, Caitlin, but I’ll find something else for the night. However, tomorrow, would you-’

‘Yes?’, her eyebrows were raised way above the rim of her glasses. She licked her lips, too fast for the human eye to see. 

‘Let me tempt you to a spot of lunch?’

Slowly, Caitlin smiled. ‘At the Ritz?’

‘Of course.’

‘It’s a date, angel.’

He didn’t deny it.

◁sunday, the very first day of the rest of their lives▷

They had champagne and a table full of sweets, foamy cappuccinos and a waiter that did not say a word. 

As far as Sundays went, it was a good one. As far as the day after the Apocalypse went, it was missing one thing.

Cisco looked at Caitlin. ‘I like to think none of this would have worked out if you weren’t, at heart, just a little bit of a good person.’

She smiled, fondly and sincere. ‘And if you weren’t, deep down, just enough of a bastard to be work knowing.’

Caitlin tilted her head. ‘Worth liking. Enough of a bastard to be work liking.’

He didn’t say anything, but didn’t look away, either. Slowly, Caitlin straightened her back and reached across the table, placing her cold hand over his.

She was close to him, close enough for him to reach and, as gently as possible, take off her sunglasses. Cisco placed them carefully on the table, gathering enough courage to look into her eyes.

They really were beautiful eyes, in their uniqueness. Cisco liked the light, flashing blue. Over the millennia, he had started to associate the color with her, with Frost.

With Caitlin, his favorite demon, the only soul he’d break the rules for.

‘Angel’, she said in a whisper, ‘do I still go to fast for you?’

‘I would have said yes, if it weren’t for everything that happened in the past week. Everything… we’ve been through.’

She was surprised by this, clearly. Caitlin must have been expecting him to push her away again. 

Well, Cisco wasn’t going to do that, not again, not ever again.

‘My bookstore came back.’

Caitlin frowned at that. ‘Yes, so did my Bentley.’

‘There are a few things that are different, though.’ He tightened his hold on her hand. ‘Wanna come over and see?’

Her eyes grew very wide at that, and her mouth opened a little, in shock. It was the second time Cisco really shocked Caitlin, after the whole thing with the flaming sword. He would have been proud of himself, if he weren’t so incredibly anxious to hear her answer.

She didn’t really answer, as much as she got up and all but dragged him, by the hand, to the Bentley.

◁kv▷

Caitlin drove fast, too fast, but for once, he didn’t mind.

◁kv▷

Back in his bookstore, Cisco did a foolish thing and tried to kiss her.

Caitlin stopped him, albeit gently, before he could reach his mark. 

‘What about our bosses?’

It wasn’t a rejection, so he relaxed and grabbed her hand. 

‘You said it yesterday, we’re on our own side.’

‘What if they find out?’, she insisted. ‘We could get really dead because of this.’

‘I don’t know about your boss, but God is all knowing and almighty.’, Cisco said gently. ‘So She must know. She may have even planned it all along.’

‘God doesn’t control me.’, Caitlin frowned. ‘I have more free will than the humans do.’

He smiled at that. ‘Yes, you do. And so do I. I’m sure that, by now, both of our bosses know it.’

Caitlin bit on her lower lip, which was incredibly distracting. Holding tighter onto his fingers, her eyes shining brighter than before, she straightened her back.

‘You really think they’ll leave us alone?’

‘I’ll fight them for it.’

He said it without thinking, instinctually. But it must have been the right thing to say, because Caitlin kissed him.

Cisco expected the earth to explode, demons to rise from beneath and drag them down, angels from above to smite them with their heavenly power, God herself to get between them and explain all the ways in which it was wrong.

Cisco also expected Caitlin to kiss in a sinful way, harsh and fast and desperate.

He was wrong on both things.

Caitlin kissed him softly, unhurried, fully letting him set the pace, and she kissed him for a long time, because nobody interrupted them.

She was the one who stopped the kiss, breathlessly saying that maybe they shouldn’t hurry.

Cisco couldn’t help but laugh, loud and carefree. He also hugged her, speaking in her ear.

‘You’re a demon, Caitlin. Are you really going to let the angel tempt you into sinning?’

She glared at him and grabbed his ass, but really, Cisco kind of expected it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite fic from this week, and it's in the Top 3 of kv fics I've ever written.


	6. Day 5: Flashpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Caitlin looked over her appointments of the day, she thought there was a mistake. Why the hell was Cisco Ramon coming to her medical office? Why would he choose her as his child’s optiatrician? Caitlin honestly thought he wasn’t going to show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, with the babies. Well... it's a kiddo, not a baby.

When Caitlin looked over her appointments of the day, she thought there was a mistake, so she asked the receptionist.

‘I don’t know if it’s actually him, but it sounded like him. And he asked for you, specifically.’

Caitlin raised an eyebrow at that.

‘So, Doc’, the receptionist wiggled her eyebrows, ‘how do you and Cisco Ramon know each other?’

There was no way Caitlin was going to answer that, because she knew how bad ‘Kid Flash kidnapped me once’ sounded. Instead, she just told the other woman that they talked once and left it at that.

It wasn’t a lie, technically, because they had only spoken that one time, and that was three years ago. 

So why the hell was Cisco Ramon coming to her medical office?

Caitlin knew he had adopted a child two years ago, the whole world knew it. But that was as far as the extent of her knowledge went. After he announced to the world that he was going to adopt a kid, Cisco Ramon fell off the radar, quite intentionally so. There were no more articles in scandal mags, no more paparazzi shots of him and whatever model he was dating that week, no nothing. No information about the child surfaced either. 

Not that Caitlin was checking. She wasn’t, not exactly, but she had gotten used to seeing Cisco Ramon on the news all the time, it was weird when no more information got to her.

… She may have checked, but only a couple of times.

Nobody could blame her, really. Everybody had a celebrity crush, Caitlin’s just so happened to be one of the wealthiest men in the country, and he just so happened to be there when Kid Flash kidnapped her.

And he was nice. Well, he was sarcastic, but he was nice to her, polite.

He drove her home, that day. Sure, he barely said two words, but he did drive her home at the end of the mess.

None of this explained why he would choose her as his child’s optiatrician.

◁kv▷

Caitlin honestly thought he wasn’t going to show up. Well, she thought someone was going to show up, but it wasn’t going to be him.

She was wrong.

He showed up in a pair of black ripped jeans and a shirt with tiny unicorns on it, with messy curls and the same thick-rimmed glasses he had three years ago. In one hand he had a My Little Pony backpack, and the other was holding onto the hand of a little girl, about eight years old.

She looked even more ridiculous than him, in a gold sequined shirt, camo pants, and bright pink sandals. Her blonde hair was up in pigtails, her skin was a lot lighter than Cisco’s, she had on pink lipgloss and she was frowning, clearly very displeased.

‘Mr. Ramon.’, Caitlin said professionally. ‘It’s good to meet you.’

He dropped the backpack in order to shake her hand. ‘It’s good to see you again, Doctor Snow. This is Jules.’

Caitlin smiled at the child, lowered herself to her level. 

‘Hi there, Jules. It’s very nice to meet you.’

‘Hi, Doctor Snow.’, she said gently, clearly shy. ‘I don’t know if it’s nice to meet you yet.’

‘Jules!’, Cisco groaned. ‘That was rude!’

‘It’s okay.’, Caitlin chuckled. ‘Going to a new doctor can be scary, I completely understand.’

‘But it’s something that you have to do, every now and then.’, Cisco said with authority.

‘I know.’, Jules sighed. ‘But I don’t like it.’

‘Hey, I promised you it wasn’t going to hurt.’, he gently shook the child’s hand. ‘Right, Caitlin? I mean Doctor-’

‘Caitlin is fine.’, she said quickly, before giving her full attention to the child. ‘He’s right, nothing I’m going to be doing today is going to hurt, but it might get a little bit uncomfortable. We just need to do some tests, check how well you see. Cisco told us he thinks you need glasses?’

Jules didn’t answer, just sighed deeply and turned her face away, pushed her cheek to Cisco’s arm, which she was now all but clutching to.

Caitin straightened up and looked to Cisco.

‘She can see well at a distance, but when it comes to doing homework or reading a book, she keeps squinting.’

Jules said nothing, even if Cisco was clearly waiting for her to.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. ‘She also keeps saying that there’s nothing wrong with her eyes.’

‘Well, seems to me like this is a problem that needs a professional’s touch.’, Caitlin said as playfully as possible. ‘So, how about it, Jules? Let’s make a deal. You help me along with these tests I have to do, and at the end of it you get a lollipop?’

Jules turned to look back at her, still frowning. ‘You have to promise you won’t make me wear glasses unless I need them!’

‘Of course not, I promise I won’t do that.’

She let go of Cisco’s hand and extended it to Caitlin. ‘Pinky swear?’

Oh, she was absolutely adorable. Of course, Caitlin did pinky swear, as Cisco looked on with hearts in his eyes, fully directed at Jules.

◁kv▷

From that point on, Caitlin ignored Cisco and focused entirely on Jules, on figuring out her eye problem and on making her comfortable. The first part was easy, the second one took a little work.

Jules was a shy child, clearly reluctant to leave Cisco’s side when she was struggling, but she didn’t refuse any of the tests Caitlin had to do, and she didn’t cry or ask for Cisco. She was polite, too, very well raised.

At the end of it, Caitlin gave her a lollipop, and spoke to her directly, rather than Cisco.

‘I’m going to be honest with you, Jules. Your eyes are not very bad, but they are a little bit bad.’

‘I need glasses, don’t I?’, the child sighed.

‘Yes, you do. But you'll only have to wear then when you need to see up close, when you're reading, writing or looking at a computer.'

When Jules' face scrunched up, Cisco was quick to place a gentle hand on her head and make her look at him.

'Come on, kiddo, that's good news! At least you don't have to wear them all the time like I do.'

'I guess.', Jules sighed, before turning to Caitlin. 'Can I get ones that look like Dad-sco's?'

Caitlin tried very hard not to laugh at the pet name, especially when she saw the way Cisco blushed.

'I've got just the thing!', she happily told Jules. 'The frames have almost the same shape as your - as Cisco's, and you can choose from a lot of different colors.' She turned to him. 'They're a bit pricey, but-'

'Not an issue.', he shook his head. 'We'll need three.'

'That seems a little excessive.', Caitlin frowned.

'Nope, I know my kid. One for her school bag, one for home and one for when she invariably breaks them.'

'Doctor Snow!', Jules interrupted loudly. 'There's really no other way, I have to wear glasses?

The way she said it, the desperation in it, it made Caitlin frown.

'Can you tell me why you don't want to wear glasses?'

She shook her head, suddenly becoming very shy once again.

'C'mon Jules', Cisco whispered, 'Caitlin's cool, you can trust her.'

It took a while, but Jules did look up at her.. ‘All the boys at school are going to make fun of me. More fun of me.’

Cisco cursed, but not before covering Jules’ ears. After he let go, he leveled Caitlin with a look.

‘They already make fun of her because she’s younger than them, by two years.’

That meant that Jules was in some sort of advanced placement, of course the older kids gave her a hard time.

‘I know what that’s like.’, Caitlin smiled at Jules. ‘I was always the youngest one, all the way through highschool. You know what I did?’

The child shook her head.

‘I found someone, just one person, that didn’t make fun of me. I sat with them at lunch and we did our homework together and ignored everyone else.’

‘You’re already doing that with Jesse, isn’t that what you said?’, Cisco asked gently.

Jules nodded. ‘Jesse is my best friend.’

‘Then you’re better off than most of us.’, Caitlin smiled. ‘And, honestly, boys are stupid.’

Cisco made an affronted sound, but didn’t actually say anything.

‘Most of them.’, she went on. ‘So don’t let them ruin your day. You keep doing what you have to at school, what you want to do, and let them run their mouth. They’ll grow tired of it, eventually. That’s what happened in my case.’

Briefly, Jules smiled at her, before saying that at least one pair of glasses had to be pink.

◁kv▷

Cisco stayed back after they were done. He asked Jules to wait at the front desk and turned a hesitant eye onto Caitlin.

‘Jules seems great.’

‘She is, yeah. I’m doing my best.’

‘I’m sure you are.’, Caitlin smiled. ‘She’s smart, isn’t she?’

Cisco nodded. ‘She’s… a little smarter than I was, at her age. It’s why she was in five different foster homes before I took her.’

She frowned at that, deeply. 

‘The homes she was in, they all had multiple children, and they couldn’t give her what she needed. A good school, tutoring-’

‘Understanding.’, Caitlin interrupted. 

Again, Cisco nodded.

‘Well, you must be doing something right. She does call you Dad-sco.’

‘Stop.’, he deadpanned, even as he blushed. ‘Don’t make fun of me.’

Caitlin snorted, before turning serious. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with, Cisco?’

‘No, I just wanted to thank you. What you told her today, she needed to hear it.’

‘I’m sure you’ve told her before.’

‘I did’, he smiled, ‘but it’ll be good for her to see an example of a woman who was once in her shoes, but still…’

Cisco didn’t finish that sentence, he just waved a hand around Caitlin. She didn’t know exactly what he meant, but she had an idea.

‘You can relax, now.’, she smiled at him. ‘There’s nothing terribly wrong with Jules’ eyes, it’s a manageable condition.’

He narrowed his eyes at her. 

‘You came here thinking about worst case scenarios.’, Caitlin said with certainty. ‘You can relax, she’s fine, she’s just in the 36% of our country's female population that needs glasses.’

‘How do you know what I was thinking?

‘I saw it in your eyes, Dad-sco. I’m very used to seeing it in parents’ eyes.’

There was a knock on the door, the receptionist telling Caitlin that her next appointment was there. 

Cisco hesitated leaving, he looked like he wanted to say something more, but all he said was ‘I’ll see you around, Caitlin.’

She wished that was true, because she wanted to see him again, him and Jules as well.

◁kv▷

Two weeks later, there was a knock on her office door, which was weird, considering the receptionist usually barged in when Caitlin was alone.

Jules came in, grinning wildly with pink glasses on her nose, holding a big bouquet of white roses.

‘Doctor Snow! Thank you for the glasses!’

‘Sweetheart’, Caitlin smiled, a little overwhelmed and confused, ‘you’re welcome, but-’

‘I hope you like flowers, I got them for you!’

The kid was struggling, it really was a ridiculously large bouquet, so Caitlin took it from her.

‘Thank you very much, Jules, but you shouldn’t have. I was just doing my job.’

‘Nope.’, she shook her head. ‘Your job was to help me fix my eyes, but you helped me deal with yucky boys, too.’

‘I did?’

‘Yup! Jesse and I ignored them and they’re leaving us alone, now.’

‘Well, I’m very glad to hear that.’

‘Do you like the flowers?’

Caitlin nodded. ‘I do, they’re beautiful.’

‘Dad-sco is going to be happy about that!’

Before Caitlin got to say anything else, Jules ran out of the office, yelling a brief ‘Thank you, bye!’ on her way out. 

Cisco was in the doorway, leaning against it, with his hands behind his back.

‘You really shouldn’t have brought me flowers.’, she smiled at him.

‘I didn’t, that was Jules’ idea.’

Caitlin didn’t believe him. She didn’t say so, but he knew it anyway. He smiled, stepping into the office and coming to her side.

Wordlessly, he brought his hands up from behind his back, revealing a single red rose.

‘This one's from me.’

She just blinked at him, utterly confused. Cisco smiled, gently placed the rose on the desk, beside the others.

‘Are you doing anything this Friday?’

Caitlin shook her head, feeling as if this wasn’t real.

‘Would like to have dinner with me?’, he winced. ‘I’m gonna be honest with you, it’s gonna be dinner at my place, cause I don’t go out anymore. And Jules is going to insist on joining us, and then she’s going to get tired and cranky and she won’t want to go to bed, and then, maybe, just maybe, we’ll manage to have a glass of wine like the adults we are, without a blonde menace running around.’

By the end of his speech, Caitlin was smiling widely. Maybe it was real, maybe he really asked her on a date.

‘Won’t Jules mind?’

‘No.’, Cisco said gently. ‘She likes you. And I like you too, in case that wasn’t clear. I've liked you since, you know, your reaction to the Flash kidnapping you was just mild confusion.’

‘Whatever happened to that Flash?’

His eyes grew wide. ‘No idea, and Iris and Wally act like it never happened.’

Caitlin frowned.

‘I don’t know.’, Cisco shook his head. ‘The Multiverse is complicated.’

As she pondered that statement, Cisco started toying with the hem of his shirt.

‘Caitlin? You haven’t answered my question.’

She shook her head to get rid of thoughts of alternate realities. She felt herself blushing, for the first time in their conversation, but it didn’t stop her from smiling.

‘I’d love to have dinner with you. And your lovely blonde menace.’

Cisco grinned, started walking backwards slowly.

‘Text me the address, I’ll pick you up.’

‘I don’t have your number.’, Caitlin smiled.

‘You do.’, his eyes sparkled. ‘I programmed it.’

Her phone was in her pocket, he had not touched it, which meant he probably hacked it, somehow.

‘Cisco!’

‘Don’t worry, I totally didn’t look at all your cat memes-’

‘Cisco!’

‘Or at the random dressing room selfies-’

‘You didn’t!’

‘Oh, and I put a good picture of me on there, too, cause all the ones you already had were bad.’

She was mortified, angry, and halfway to in love.

‘You’re not being cute, you know.’

That made him stop walking backwards. He smiled, very sweetly and innocently, and pushed his hair behind his ear, in a very well practiced move.

‘Aren’t I, though?’

He said it in a husky way, voice lowered and looking straight into her eyes.

Caitlin felt her knees go weak and her cheeks flush, but she didn’t back down, not exactly.

‘Get out of here, Cisco. I have work to do.’

‘Bye, Caitlin. Think of me as you work.’

The asshole had the audacity to wink at her.

‘And you should think of the short dress I’m going to wear on our date!’

He was already out of the door when she said her comeback, but there was a slight crash sound. Caitlin smirked, pleased with herself.

◁kv▷

On the night of their date, ten minutes after Jules went to bed, Wally sent Cisco a text asking for a new suit. He explained exactly how he had ruined the old one, but Cisco didn’t get to actually read it, because he was too busy making out with Caitlin.


	7. Day 6: Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Okay, so’, the meta took a deep breath, ‘soulmates.’   
His casual statement was met with a long silence.  
‘What the fuck?’, Cisco finally breathed out.  
‘I see soulmates. Well, I see the potential of soulmates. I call them soul-auras.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a doozy. Tomorrow's the grand finale. Woohoo.

It all started in Jitters.

All the coffee machines in Star Labs were broken. Caitlin suspected Cisco had something to do with it, but he wasn't talking.

On that sunny Thursday, it was her turn to go on a coffee run.

So she was waiting in line for her coffees, when she felt eyes on her. She had learned, in the past years, to trust her gut when it came to things like that, so she looked around, as natural as possible.

The guy behind her in line was staring, unblinkingly, even when she turned to look at him. He was well dressed, in slacks and an ironed shirt, but that didn't make his stare any less creepy. 

'May I help you?', Caitlin politely asked.

'No.', he answered slowly. 'No, you can't.'

He kept on staring. Caitlin turned her back to him, but the feeling of being watched didn't disappear. And when she walked out of Jitters, he was still watching her.

Caitlin picked up the pace on her way back to the lab, but once she was convinced he wasn't following her, she dismissed the guy as just being a creep and forgot all about it.

◁kv▷

Caitlin noticed him a week later, at her supermarket. She was waiting in line, as the guy was walking by.

He stopped in the middle of the street, tilted his head and then turned it, eyes zeroing it directly on her, through the supermarket's window.

She looked the other way and the guy did, eventually, leave before she walked out.

As she walked home, Caitlin was extra careful, but he wasn't around. 

◁kv▷

She was with Barry the next time it happened, at a crime scene, and she didn't even notice him.

'Hey, Cait.', Barry whispered. 'There's a guy staring at you. Do you know him?'

Dread settled in Caitlin's stomach when she turned and saw him standing behind the police line.

As she explained it to Barry, the guy left.

◁kv▷

It happened again, and again, and again. Once when she was out shopping, twice as she got into work.

The guy, whom she started calling The Weirdo in her head, he never said anything, never did anything. He never approached her, never got close.

He just… stared. Weirdly. Creepily. Always dressed business-casual, always with dark circles under his eyes.

Caitlin didn't think he was following her, but she was a little alarmed.

◁kv▷

She was with Cisco the next time it happened, and things got even weirder.

They were at the mall, presumably looking for a birthday gift for Cisco's mother, actually filling the time until they were hungry enough to go to the food court.

Again, Caitlin didn't see him, but Cisco did.

'Who's that hottie and why doesn't he come say hello if he knows you?'

Dread pulling in her stomach, Caitlin turned. There he was, by the sunglasses rack, looking at her.

But, unlike all the times before, he wasn't looking just as her, but at Cisco, too. And he was grinning.

It was even creepier than before.

'Caitlin?', Cisco asked gently, grabbing her elbow. 'Is he making you uncomfortable?'

She grabbed his hand, instinctually. It maid The Weirdo laugh, once. Then he turned around and left.

Caitlin was shaking, fully alarmed, even though she knew it wasn't that bad. The Weirdo never did anything to her, never tried to do anything to her, nothing beyond staring.

'Caitlin?', Cisco asked again, his tone more urgent. 'Talk to me or I'm gonna go and kill that guy right this moment.'

'Don't kill him… Yet.'

After Caitlin told him what happened, Cisco not only walked her home, but spent the night on the couch, just to be safe.

◁kv▷

She forgot all about The Weirdo, for awhile there. But he turned up again, this time at the movies.

Cisco had dragged her to see a zombie flick that he was really excited about, and just as they were about to go in, he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

He said nothing, but he wasn't even looking at Caitlin. Cisco was glaring at the other side of the road, where The Weirdo was standing, staring and grinning.

'Wait here.', Cisco said gravely, moving to let go of her hand.

She didn't let him. 'I'm coming with you. Frost can-'

'But-'

'We're coming with you!'

'Fine!'

They started walking, hand in hand, towards The Weirdo. He started laughing and walking away, down the closest alley.

Cisco let go of her hand before they walked in after him, cracked his knuckles. Clearly, Vibe was ready to play.

The Weirdo was waiting for them, casually leaning against the wall, smiling expectedly.

'What the hell is your problem?', Cisco demanded. 'Why are you following her?'

'I'm not, man. Not always.'

Cisco didn't take that well, his expression grew even more angry. Caitlin had never seen him like that.

'Explain yourself, now!'

'You won't believe me.', the guy mocked.

Cisco smirked, a dangerous thing. He also opened a tiny breach, right above the guy's head. It wasn't going to do anything, but The Weirdo didn't know it.

'Try me.', Cisco challenged.

The guy didn't seem surprised. At all.

It was very alarming.

'I'll come by Star Labs tomorrow and explain everything.'

Cisco said nothing, clearly surprised.

'My name's Matt Levi. If I don't show up tomorrow, you can come to my apartment, guns blazing. But I'll be there, you have my word.'

He winked at Caitlin. 'Sorry for making you uncomfortable, that wasn't my intention.'

'What was your intention?', she asked.

'Love, mostly.'

She was too shocked by that answer to say anything, and so was Cisco.

Matt left, waving a hand.

'What just happened?', Caitlin asked.

'We'll find out tomorrow, I guess.'

Caitlin wasn't very comforted by that. But Cisco held her hand and slept over, again. That, at least, was very comforting.

◁kv▷

Caitlin barely slept that night, and she was a ball of nerves the next morning.

Honestly, her reaction didn't make a lot of sense. This wasn't the first stalker she dealt with, and he wasn't even dangerous, not really. And even if he turned out to be, Caitlin and Frost could take care of themselves.

Cisco tried to comfort her, calm her down, but it only kind of worked.

◁kv▷

Matt Levi worked in PR for a small game studio. He had no reckord, no prior offenses, no nothing. He lived alone with his dog, had a mortgage and the weirdest thing he googled in the past year were hi-res pictures of cats.

He came in after noon, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, casual as can be.

Barry greeted him in full Flash costume, Cisco was glaring daggers, wearing his gauntlets, and Caitlin was ready to ice his ass.

'Start talking.', Barry said menacingly. 

'So here's the thing, I'm a metahuman.'

'That don't count for much in this room.', Cisco piped up.

Matt snorted. 'So which one of you has that superpower that allows you to see through my eyes?'

All of them frowned at that.

'Nobody? Well this is gonna be complicated.'

'You could tell us.', Cisco pointed out, losing patience.

'You need to see it to believe it.'

Caitlin and Barry turned to Cisco, expectedly. 

'Fine.', he rolled his eyes and walked up to Matt. 'Concentrate on a memory that you want me to see.'

'No problem.', the other man answered, intrigued and a little amused.

Cisco grabbed his shoulder and it worked. The vibe didn't last long, but it clearly affected Cisco.

He was shaking by the time he came out of it, white as a sheet. Caitlin ran to his side, and he just stared with wide eyes, at her.

'Barry', he said shakily, 'go to my workshop and bring the… the cap.'

'The cap?', Barry frowned.

'Caitlin needs to see this.'

Barry walked away, Matt was smirking, Cisco had not taken his eyes off her.

'Tell me.' she asked him.

Cisco shook his head. 'You need to see it.'

'It's not bad.', Matt offered.

'You don't know that', Cisco snapped, 'so shut up.'

He walked away from her, went to the med lab. Caitlin could see him prepping the place.

'We'll need to be asleep.', she told Matt.

'You don't wanna sleep with me.'

Caitlin glared at him, but it only made him laugh.

◁kv▷

‘Brace yourself, sweetheart.’, was the last thing Matt leered at her before he went to sleep.

Caitlin barely heard him, she was too focused on Cisco. He was hurt, evidently so, and it was clearly because of her. He kept looking at her, desperate and in pain, but looking quickly away in something close to shame.

She didn’t get it, she didn’t understand. What could he have possibly seen? Caitlin was afraid for it.

Still, she went to sleep, making sure Cisco was the last thing she saw.

◁kv▷

The first time Matt saw Caitlin, she was shining brightly, so brightly.

A lot of people around him were shining, small pieces here and there, a shoulder, a hand, half a leg. Most times, the colors were faded, translucent shades of yellow and pink.

But Caitlin shone like nobody else. Her entire body was covered in a red aura, brighter than anybody else around her. Not only that, but her light was moving, pulsating, towards a certain point. 

It was a beautiful sight, no wonder Matt stared at her.

The memory changed, followed by all the other times Matt had seen Caitlin. There were times in which she hadn’t even noticed him, which scared her.

But then she saw that night at the movie theater, the first time he saw her and Cisco.

He looked the same, lathered in red light.

His light was the same color as Caitlin’s.

His light pulsed in sync with Caitlin’s.

His light was moving towards Caitlin’s, and hers was moving towards Cisco’s.

When they stood side by side, the auras seemed to crave to be in touch. They moved as close to one another as they could get, forming a dance of frustration.

But when they touched, it was the most beautiful sight Caitlin had ever seen.

When Cisco grabbed Caitlin’s hand, the light flickered. Somehow, it turned even brighter, even more colorful, in shades of pink, orange and yellow, against a background of red.

It was… absolutely breathtaking.

And impossible and inexplicable and…

Caitlin woke up crying happy tears. She didn’t understand it, but she felt happy.

Looking at Cisco, he seemed to be feeling the exact opposite.

‘What the hell did you guys see?’, Barry asked.

‘We’re fine.’, Cisco lied. ‘Get out of here.’

Barry was clearly confused and mildly affronted, and he looked to Matt.

‘I’m going to stay for awhile, explain some things. Don’t worry, Flash, they’re safe.’

‘Go.’, Caitlin nodded. ‘We’ll be fine.’

Barry left, clearly pissed off. Caitlin only hoped he wasn’t going to listen in, because whatever Matt was going to explain, she knew it was going to be awfully personal.

‘Okay, so’, Matt took a deep breath, ‘soulmates.’

His casual statement was met with a long silence.

‘What the fuck?’, Cisco finally breathed out.

‘I see soulmates.’, Matt said in a surprising gentle tone. ‘Well, I see the potential of soulmates. I call them soul-auras.’

‘Of course you do.’, the other man sighed.

‘Cisco, please let him explain.’, Caitlin said, her voice shaking. Cisco flinched, but he did nod and let Matt go on.

‘I’ve seen millions of colored soul-auras by now. Each pair has a different color around them, and the two of them are the only people in the world who have that specific colored soul-aura.’

Matt smiled. ‘It’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, isn’t it?’

Cisco said nothing, but Caitlin nodded.

‘As you saw, some people have only a small potential of meeting their soulmates. The more the aura covers your body, the more chances you have, the closer your soulmate is.’

‘But most people…’, Cisco started, but didn’t go on.

‘Yeah, most people only have a wrist or a shoulder or… small parts. Which makes the both of you... ‘, he shook his head, seemingly in disbelief. ‘Fucking special.’

‘What are you saying?’, Caitlin asked slowly.

‘I’ve never seen anybody like you two before. When I saw you, Doctor Snow, your soul-aura covering you completely… Before you, the most I’ve seen was a woman with a full arm and a guy with his back. That’s it.’

‘So that’s why you followed her?’, Cisco asked.

Matt nodded. ‘I had to see it. I had to see what happened when soulmates were together.’

‘Soulmates.’, Cisco scoffed. ‘How do you know it’s soulmates?’

That hurt Caitlin, she couldn’t lie. Matt knew it, considering the look he threw her, before rounding a glare on Cisco.

‘Vibe, don’t be an idiot. You know it’s soulmates. You know it and you’ve  _ felt it _ .’

He didn’t answer, but that was as answer in itself. Caitlin felt… shaky.

‘You’re a one in a million.’, Matt smiled. ‘You’re… impossible and improbable and incredible and-why are you looking like that?’, he stared at Cisco. ‘Why are you mad?’

‘Seriously?’, Cisco deadpanned.

After a few moments, Matt’s eyes grew wide in understanding.

‘Are you two not together?’, he all but shrieked.

Again, there was no answer, which was enough of an answer.

‘Holy shit.’, Matt breathed out. ‘Holy fucking shit.’

‘You should probably leave now.’, Cisco said, emotionless.

Matt nodded, walking slowly toward the exit. He stopped, though, turned to look at Caitlin.

‘You believe me, don’t you?’

She could feel Cisco’s eyes on her, but she couldn’t look at him. So she looked to Matt as she nodded.

Cisco cursed under his breath, as Matt left the Cortex without saying another word.

In the silence that followed, Caitlin took off her shoes. The heels fell with a clank to the floor, echoing in the empty space. Then she walked to the closest wall and lowered herself to the ground.

Then she started crying. Like pushing a button, Caitlin’s tears started flowing. 

She felt so overwhelmed, so incredibly overwhelmed. Not only were soulmates real, but she had one.  _ She had a soulmate _ , and it wasn’t Ronnie. As soon as his name popped into her brain, Caitlin started crying harder.

It wasn’t that she was upset it wasn’t Ronnie, it wasn’t that she was upset it was Cisco. In fact, she felt relieved it was Cisco, because she liked him, she liked every single part of him, every sharp corner and hidden hallway, no matter how dark. And she loved him, always had loved him, in ways that changed a lot over the years.

They changed a whole lot.

Caitlin was in love with Cisco, had been falling for him, in the true sense of the world, for a long while. She had been building up the courage to do something about it, say something. 

And now, she had received confirmation that it was real, that it was meant to be. But he… He didn’t even believe it.

That hurt Caitlin, and it made her angry, so angry and frustrated. She loved him, they were fucking soulmates, how could he not believe that?

When Cisco made his way to her side, she wanted to run away and she also wanted to grab onto him and never let go.

He had tears in his eyes, but he lowered himself to her level and smiled gently.

‘Please stop crying, I really hate it when you cry.’

‘I love you.’, was what Caitlin said, desperately so. ‘I’ve loved you for ages, and I’ve been in love with you for years. Someone showed us that we’re soulmates, and you don’t believe it. Crying feels like the way to go.’

Cisco took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. It didn’t seem to help much. He said a ‘fuck it’ under his breath and sat down next to Caitlin. He also wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled until she was leaning against him.

His fingers quickly made their way into her hair, like they always did when she cried, and Cisco’s free hand found hers.

‘I’ve always been in love with you.’, he whispered. ‘Whenever you said or did something that made me think that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance you’d feel the same, I… thought I was losing it.’

‘Cisco…’

He chuckled when she didn’t go on. ‘We are never going to live this down.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Pinning for each other for years, silently, thinking the other one couldn’t possibly feel the same. And then a freaking Cupid meta comes around and shows us pretty lights and-’

He shut himself up. 

Caitlin noticed that she had stopped crying, at some point in the last minute. Even more than that, she was smiling.

‘And then what?’, she asked Cisco.

‘Whatever you want.’, he said after a moment.

There was no hesitation in Caitlin’s mind, no doubt, no thinking time. She knew exactly what she wanted and in that moment, she wanted to kiss Cisco.

So that was what she did. Quickly, like ripping off a bandaid, she pressed her lips to Cisco’s. Just for a moment, just for a second, just enough to be sure it was real.

Cisco was pretty much in shock. His eyes were wide and unblinking and his mouth was half opened.

‘Soulmates.’, Caitlin said, feeling she was crying again. ‘We’re  _ soulmates _ , Cisco.’

‘Yeah.’, he breathed out. ‘We are.’

A tear fell down Caitlin’s cheek and he was quick to wipe it away, but he didn’t remove his hand afterwards, gently cupping her cheeks.

‘Jesus Christ, Caitlin.’, he was still in shock.

‘I know.’

‘Soulmates.’

‘Soulmates.’, she nodded.

‘Holy sh-’

‘Just kiss me, already!’, she cried out.

Cisco snorted out a laugh, surprised by her outburst. But he did kiss her, so very gently and sweetly and everything was right in the world.

◁kv▷

A month later, she ran into Matt at the grocery store.

He didn’t say anything, just smiled and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Caitlin didn’t say much either, just a ‘Thank you.’, from the bottom of her heart.

It made Matt smile wider. ‘I’m happy for you. And hey, if you want me to make a speech at your wedding…’

‘Shut up.’, she rolled her eyes.

… Barry was going to make a speech at their wedding. Cisco already told her he wasn’t going to take no for an answer when the time came and she was fine with it. They have yet to discuss actually getting married, just how their wedding is going to be.

They were going to get there, sooner or later. They both knew it and they didn’t beat around the bush.

Still, that didn’t mean Matt did the right thing with them.

‘Don’t get involved again.’, she told him. ‘All metahuman powers are unnatural and all of them can hurt other people. So don’t get involved, let people get there on their own.’

Matt snorted. ‘What, like you did?’

‘Like we would have.’

She said it with so much certainty that it shut Matt up. 

Caitlin thanked him again before leaving, but she rushed out of the grocery store. Cisco was waiting back at her place, and if she was going to be late, he was going to be asleep in the middle of the bed which was as adorable as it was inconvenient. 


	8. Day 7: Fairytale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody told Cisco he was stupid and he shouldn’t do it. He didn’t listen to them. So what if he was heading into the Cold Forrest, the place where monsters lived? Surely, it was going to be better than Mid Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This (and Day 4) are my absolute favorites.

Everybody told Cisco he was stupid and he shouldn’t do it. He didn’t listen to them.

He wasn’t stupid, he was actually above average when it came to brains and he was well aware that he shouldn’t do it.

But whatever the villagers said, Cisco didn’t listen to them.

For all his life, he had listened to them.

‘You’re better off without your father, boy, that good for nothing bastard.’

‘Knew you mother was going to bite the dust sooner or later, what with all the men that spent time in her bed.’

‘You should be grateful that man took you in when you had no one left. So what if he beats you? At least there’s food in your belly and a roof over your head.’

‘Your inventions are funny, but they’re never going to work.’

‘Stop trying, boy, no girl is ever going to look at you.’

He had enough. There was nobody in the village who showed Cisco even a pebble of respect. All they did was make fun of him, treat him like shit and use his brain whenever they had something to fix.

So what if he was heading into the Cold Forrest, the place where monsters lived?

Surely, it was going to be better than Mid Village.

◁kv▷

Cisco lived all his life in Mid Village, he knew every nook and cranny of it, and all of the places surrounding it: Star Village in the North, the sea in the west, the gold deserts of the south.

Nobody ever went east from Mid Village, because the Cold Forest was untouchable.

The air was freezing, the trees were covered in a thin layer of ice, no matter what season it was. There were no animals, nothing living ever came out of the Cold Forest.

But something did, sometimes.

Sometimes, they’d wake up in the morning to find pieces of ice in the village. A doorway, a porch, a well. A pig, a cat.

Ten years ago, they found the inn-keeper completely frozen, a look of horror on his face. Cisco was a boy, then, but he still remembered how scared everyone was. From that point on, nobody dared to even walk in front of the Cold Forest.

The Frost, they called it. A monster of unspeakable horror, that would come after the children if they didn’t do what their parents said. A monster so vile, it would kill any girl who hid herself away with a boy at night. A monster so blood-thirsty, he’d come after every man who stole from his neighbour.

Magic and demons and ice.

Cisco always thought it was bullshit, just a way to keep the kids in control. He couldn’t believe in something that he had never seen, never even seen a small proof of.

So he was going into the Cold Forest. 

Whatever he would find there, it couldn’t be worse than the boredom, frustration and hate that awaited for him back in Mid Village.

And he was a curious person, he wanted to know what waited beyond the Cold Forest.

◁kv▷

No matter what anyone said, Cisco wasn’t stupid, he prepared for the trip as well as he could.

He bought bear furs, sowed a cape from them, lined the inside of his pants with sheep wool. He made covers for his head and hands, made several pairs of thick socks.

He got knives and a sword, thick metals to withstand and cut through ice. His pack was filled with foods that were going to last through the cold and with a lot of cloths, the ones that burned the best. He had an iron cauldron to boil water in, a flask to carry water in, the best torch money could get, spikes on the soles of his boots. 

He improved all of the things he carried, using his inventions.

Really, Cisco was prepared. 

He actually believed that, even for the first few hours he slowly trekked through the Cold Forest.

But then…

From one blink to another, the darkness disappeared, the ice melted. Green appeared all around, there was dirt under his feet, sun above his head, birds chirping in the distance, the scent of flowers was in the air.

The Cold Forest was just like another forest. 

And Cisco felt something hard hit the back of his head before darkness enveloped him.

◁kv▷

He woke up sweating.

It took him a moment to get his bearings together, and manage to ignore the pain throbbing in his head.

Cisco was lying in a bed, hands tied behind his back. He was in some sort of cottage, and it looked cozy, even if it was on the smaller side.

‘How’s your head?’, a sweet voice said.

He hadn’t noticed her sitting in a corner, on a chair, but he couldn’t look away now.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Dressed in simple clothes and with her brown hair tied up messily, a flush on her cheeks and brown eyes shining.

‘I said, how’s your head?’, she asked slowly.

‘Kinda hurts.’, Cisco admitted. ‘The room’s not spinning, though.’

‘Good.’

‘Why’d you hit me in the head? And why am I tied up?’

The woman raised an eyebrow. ‘Usually, when men come into my forest, they’re looking to kill monsters.’

‘Your forest?’, Cisco frowned, before shaking his head. ‘I’m not here to kill monsters, and you don’t look like a monster.’

She snorted, very unlady like, making him look up at her.

Her hair was blonde, her eyes were shining blue, there was black around her eyes and purple on her lips. There was also ice coming out of her fingertips.

She was still incredibly beautiful.

‘You were saying?’, her voice echoed, unnaturally so.

Cisco was smart, he acknowledged the fact that he should feel afraid. But he didn’t, because she was afraid of him. She had tied him up and attacked first, she must be scared.

‘I’m not here to hurt you.’, Cisco said.

The woman blinked twice, before her hair turned back to brown, her eyes stopped shining and the colors on her face disappeared.

Considering Cisco was looking at a proof of magic, he handled it pretty well by falling in love with the ice witch.

‘Then why are you here?’, she asked, frowning. ‘Who are you?’

Without hesitation, without any thought, Cisco took a deep breath, introduced himself and told her all the reasons why he left Mid Village.

At the end of it, she was staring at him. Wordlessly, she got up from her chair and came over to the bed. When she pulled a knife from under her skirts, Cisco felt a spike of fear. 

He said nothing, though, because she smirked, a little, as she cut away the ropes tying him down.

‘I’m Caitlin.’, she said gently. ‘I’m the monster your elders warned you about.’

‘You can’t be.’

She smiled, something sad in her eyes. ‘Let me prove you wrong. And make you something to eat.’

Cisco had never in his life turned down a free meal, and he definitely wasn’t going to do it now.

◁kv▷

Caitlin was born in the very cottage they were in.

She never knew her father, her mother always called him The Passenger, for he went as quickly as he came.

Her mother was always as cold as the ice she could form with her fingers.

People were afraid of the ice. Caitlin’s grandmother had once lived in Mid Village, but once the ice came to the surface, she had to run away from it, because people wanted to kill the ice monster.

She ran into the forest, where she found an abandoned cottage. She fixed it up with her own hands, raised a wall of ice around it and lived the rest of her life there.

Caitlin’s mother was born in the cottage, Caitlin was born in the cottage.

They never left their small world, contained by the ice they themselves created.

Every day, like her mother and grandmother before her, Caitlin would walk the clearing, reinforcing the ice. It kept people away.

‘Most people.’, she side-eyed Cisco.

‘I’m not most people.’, was his quick response.

Caitlin tilted her head and nodded.

‘So you never… you never leave here?’

‘Of course I do. Every week, I go into Mid Village for supplies.’

‘I’ve never seen you.’, Cisco frowned.

She smirked. ‘I convinced the shop keep that I have a terrible, contagious disease. He leaves the stuff out at night, I leave the money under the potted plant.’

‘Wow.’, he snorted. ‘Just… wow. Where do you get the money?’

‘Grandma left us well off. I have enough to last me four lifetimes.’

After a moment, Cisco spoke softly.

‘Hey, Caitlin? I’m not judging, but… sometimes, we find frozen animals.’

Her back stiffened and she didn’t look at him.

‘Sometimes, they startle me.’

‘That’s okay. The… the inn-keeper, ten years ago. Was he trying to hurt you?’

She shook her head and swallowed thickly.

‘Mother died that day. It… Emotions make it harder to control the ice.’

Cisco stared at her. She was fascinating, the most interesting thing he had ever laid eyes on. She was dangerous, yes, but she didn’t look dangerous right then, as she chopped tomatoes from her garden and cheese from the goat Cisco kept hearing out back.

Finally, Caitlin turned to look at him, a very cocky expression on her face.

‘I told you. I’m the monster your elders warned you about.’

He shook his head. ‘If you were, you wouldn’t be making me food.’

‘I have manners.’, she said after a moment.

‘Well, so have I. So I’ll wash up after we eat.’

‘That’s not…’, Caitlin shook her head. ‘We were having a conversation about something else.’

‘Yeah, we were. Aren’t you lonely?’

She froze at that, just metaphorically speaking.

Cisco backtracked, and babbled. ‘I am always surrounded by people, everyone always wants to talk to me, and they make fun of… everything, but they still come to me for help, cause I’m smarter than them. But I’m lonely.’

He took a deep breath. ‘I’m almost never alone, and I’m lonely. So lonely, I couldn’t take it anymore. I… I can’t imagine how much worse it is for you.’

Caitlin’s cheeks turned pink, as she shrugged gently. ‘I’m used to it.’

‘That doesn’t mean you like it.’

‘Enough of this. Set the table, there’s plates in those cupboards.’

He respected her decision to close the subject.

◁kv▷

They talked, as they ate.

They talked like they had known each other for years. Cisco spoke about the assholes in the village and how he put them in their place, and Caitlin laughed along with him.

Cisco did wash up the dishes after they were done, and then he helped Caitlin feed her animals and water the garden.

By the time they were done, it was starting to get dark.

‘I need to ice the wall.’, she seemed ashamed by it.

‘Can I come with you?’

She seemed surprised by the clear excitement in his voice, but she nodded.

‘Get your cloak, it’s going to get chilly.’

Cisco did so, and followed her around. It was fascinating to watch. On one hand, there was the transformation Caitlin went through, from the sweet woman to the ice witch. On the other hand, he was absolutely mesmerised by the way the ice worked.

With just a flick of her fingers, a curtain of ice exploded from them. It was magic in its purest form, because the ice acted quickly on everything it touched.

Caitlin was wearing a thin dress and the cold did not bother her, while Cisco was freezing under layers of bear fur. 

He was absolutely in awe.

‘You know’, Caitlin said at one point, ‘most men would be running away screaming, by now.’

‘I’m not-’

‘Like most men, yeah, I know.’, she rolled her eyes.

Cisco huffed. ‘I’m not afraid of you. I’m… fascinated.’

She frowned at that.

‘This is… magic.’, Cisco breathed out. ‘There’s not a logical explanation for what you can’t do, I can’t explain it. It’s just, it’s beautiful and impossible.’

‘Beautiful?’, she whispered.

Suddenly, he blushed, but he didn’t back down.

‘Yes, you are. When your hair is brown and messy, and when your eyes are blue and flashing.’

For a long moment, she just blinked at him. Then she directed one last blast of ice to the trees surrounding them.

‘Let’s go back to the cottage, this should do for today.’

They walked in silence, and Cisco felt like he messed up, somehow. He desperately wanted to fix his mistake, but he didn’t know how.

◁kv▷

Back in the cottage, after closing the door behind them, Caitlin turned back to her warmer self.

‘I should probably go.’, Cisco said politely.

‘I’m not letting you go out at night.’, she smiled gently. ‘There’s monsters in the forest, haven’t you heard?’

‘I’m not afraid of monsters.’

She stepped closer to him, very close, closer than ever before. With gentle fingers, she uncloaked him, letting the furs fall to the ground. She then placed her fingers on the middle of his chest.

They were cold, just a little, just enough for Cisco to feel it through his shirt.

‘You’re right, I am much more lonelier than you are.’, Caitlin whispered. ‘Let’s not be lonely tonight.’

Wordlessly, Cisco nodded.

Slowly, hesitantly, Caitlin drew herself even closer. She closed her eyes just before she pressed her lips to Cisco’s.

He had never kissed anyone before, but he knew enough. It probably wasn’t supposed to be like that.

A sharp pang of cold flowed through Cisco’s body, from his lips, down his chest and stomach, all the way down to the tips of his toes.

It was incredible.

It was the best feeling in the world.

When he wrapped his arms around Caitlin, when she let him do it and started kissing him in a more sure way, Cisco realized that he didn’t mind the cold.

He didn’t mind it at all, but he did want to run it away.

He wanted to make Caitlin feel warm, hot, like the sun burning on a summer day, like the center of a fire.

When he whispered her name, questioning, still questioning, she shivered in his arms.

Caitlin answered by kissing him again, even harder than before, and there were no more questions left.

◁kv▷

For the rest of the night, Cisco burned warmer than the center of the sun, but Caitlin was there to cool him down.

◁kv▷

When he woke up in the morning, naked in the middle of the bed, Caitlin was in the chair, in the corner, wrapped up in a blanket. She was silently crying.

‘I guess you’re my Passenger.’, she said. ‘As quickly as you came, as fast you’ll leave.’

If there was a decision to be made, Cisco had made it the moment he laid eyes on hers.

‘Leave? Leave where? There’s nothing for me out there.’

She shook her head.

Cisco got up and made his way to her side, kneeled in front of her, placed his hands on her cold legs.

‘If you’ll have me, I won’t ever leave your side.’

‘How could you stay with something like me? I’m the monster your parents warned you about.’

‘No.’, he said with certainty. ‘You’re the most beautiful person I have ever met, and it would be a privilege to… keep you warm. I promise I won’t-’

‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’

With a deep breath, Cisco smiled. ‘I’m not. I promise I’ll stay for as long as you’ll have me. Even if you kick me out right now, my heart already belongs to you, and it always will.’

Caitlin started crying harder at that, but in a rush, she joined him on the floor and hugged him tightly.

‘Please don’t go.’, she gasped against his neck. ‘Please don’t leave me, I hate being alone. Please, Cisco, please…’

He held her tightly, cried alongside her, kissed her desperately, poured all the love he felt for her into his touch and Cisco promised, over and over again, that he will not ever leave her.

◁kv▷

A year later, Caitlin was late. When the sickness came, there was no denying it.

They were going to have a baby.

Crying, happily so, Caitlin told him that she didn’t want their child to grow up like her, alone and scared of the outside world.

So they packed up everything and Cisco took her back to Mid Village.

They got a house, they ignored all the whispers people said around them.

When someone tried to make fun of Cisco, like they used to before, Caitlin quickly shut them up.

They had a baby girl, healthy and curly haired. They named her Claire.

By that point, the Cold Forest was cold no more.

Cisco set up a workshop for himself, where people from all the surrounding villages came to get their things fixed or improved.

Caitlin had become the healer of the village.

Animals started coming out of the forest, bears and cougars and other dangerous things. 

Once, there was a bear who was going to attack a pair of children that were playing at the edge of the forest. But Caitlin was there, she protected the kids with a wall of ice that had the bear running back from where it came from.

The villagers rioted, then. They realized Caitlin was the monster they were warned about, and they came to their door with torches.

Ha, torches. Caitlin put the fires out with an easy blow of ice breath.

She then explained everything, while holding a fussy Claire, with Cisco standing by her side.

The two kids reminded the adults of how she saved their lives, and Cisco reminded the villagers about how many lives she has helped as a healer.

From that moment on, Caitlin was not just the healer, but also the protector of Mid Village.

Nobody ever called her a monster.

Nobody ever made fun of Cisco anymore.

Everybody loved Claire and protected her like she was their own.

◁kv▷

For generations to come, people in Mid Village told the story of the ice witch and the genius man who tamed her.

For generations to come, Mid Village had an ice witch who protected the villagers from whatever came out of the Not-Cold Forest.

And when more witches started showing up, the people of Mid Village knew they shouldn’t be afraid of them. People who could run impossibly fast, who could fly and shoot fire out of their eyes, people who could turn to dust and see the future, they were all welcomed in Mid Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE DID IT! WE'RE AT THE END!  
It's been a great week, honestly. I hope you had as much fun as I did!


End file.
